An unusual acting approach on the set of Beef Season 2 has drawn attention after creator Lee Sung Jin revealed it led to a significant increase in costs. Lead actors Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan opted for a unique performance method during filming. This decision ultimately required extensive post-production work and proved expensive for Netflix.

Lee Sung Jin reveals bizarre reason that ballooned Beef Season 2’s budget

The production cost of Beef Season 2 increased due to an unexpected creative decision made during filming, as revealed by creator Lee Sung Jin.

He explained that lead actors Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan frequently used earphones while performing scenes, a choice that later required extensive digital removal in post-production. “You two were always playing songs as you performed,” Sung Jin said, adding that the process “cost a fortune to paint out.”

Isaac initially adopted the technique while filming a scene involving a synthesizer and later expanded its use across multiple scenes. Mulligan followed, and both actors began using music for their performances. The method was incorporated into several scenes, including one pivotal moment involving a kiss between their characters.

Reflecting on the experience, Mulligan said, “That was amazing because it timed out unbelievably well to the moment. The beat would drop on the [kiss]. We were so delighted every time, we were like, ‘It did it again!’” Isaac also spoke about the approach, noting, “Yeah, the rhythm was lining up.” The actors experimented with different tracks depending on the tone of each scene. For a blackmail scene, they listened to music by Thom Yorke and Mark Pritchard.

The second season of the Netflix series introduces a new storyline centered around a married couple played by Isaac and Mulligan. Their relationship begins to unravel after their lives intersect with another couple, portrayed by Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton. The eight-episode narrative focuses on escalating personal tensions between the characters.