Director Heo Jin-ho's new film "The Assassin(s)" announced filming news while revealing an all-time casting lineup including Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho.
After starting principal photography in August and continuing filming smoothly, The Assassin(s) is raising expectations by announcing the participation of reliable actors such as Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho, foreshadowing the birth of a new blockbuster set to hit Korea's film industry. The Assassin(s) is a film that traces the suspicions and backers of the Aug. 15 shooting incident that shocked Korea.
The Assassin(s), which vividly unravels one of the most shocking historical events in modern Korean history with intense suspense (directed by Heo Jin-ho, written by Kwon Ki-joon and Lee Ji-min, adapted by Shin Jun-ho, produced by HYBE Media Corp.), raises expectations further with HYBE Media Corp. producing. The company has presented works that balance artistic merit and box-office appeal using modern Korean history as material, including YADANG: The Snitch, Seoul Spring, The Man Standing Next, and Inside Men, and it led the box office in 2025 with YADANG: The Snitch.
First, Yoo Hae-jin, who has firmly established himself as an unrivaled actor representing Korea with four films that surpassed 10 million viewers — Grave of the Fireflies, Taxi Driver, Veteran and The King and the Clown — plays a chief inspector at the central station who witnessed the event firsthand. Through this character, who has sharp instincts and tenacity, he is expected to showcase an irreplaceable, overwhelming presence that will drive the film's tension and immersion.
Park Hae-il, who left strong impressions in numerous works such as Decision to Leave, Hansan: Rising Dragon and The Fortress and is reuniting with director Heo Jin-ho for the second time since The Last Princess, plays a newspaper social affairs chief who digs into the many lingering questions left in the investigation despite danger and pressure, and is expected to add another signature performance to his body of work.
Lee Min-ho, who has shown strong influence over global fans through works such as Omniscient Reader: The Prophet, The King: Eternal Monarch and The Legend of the Blue Sea and notably marked a turning point with his acting transformation in the Pachinko series, is cast as an impassioned rookie social affairs reporter who witnessed the crime scene, adding richness to the film.
The production team is also impressive. Director Heo Jin-ho, who demonstrated superb storytelling and delicate direction across genres in films such as The Song of the Moon and The Last Princess, is directing; cinematographer Lee Mo-gae and lighting director Lee Seong-hwan, who showed fantastic teamwork on films including Grave of the Fireflies, Seoul Spring, Hunt, Emergency Declaration and The Battleship Island, have joined the project. Song Jong-hee, who worked on The Law of the City, Concrete Utopia and Decision to Leave, and Choi Yoon-sun, who worked on Grave of the Fireflies and Hunt, are in charge of makeup and costumes, respectively. In addition, Chung Jae-hoon supervises VFX for Seoul Spring, completing a lineup of top-tier production staff and enhancing confidence in the production.
With superstar casting including Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho and a top-tier production team forming a formidable dream team, The Assassin(s) is heating up production.
[Photo] HYBE Media Corp.
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