Actor Yoo Ah-in was swept up in speculation about a return to the film industry after an unexpected update about his recent activities, prompting both his agency and the director to deny the reports and try to calm the situation.
Recently DJ and producer Peggy Gou posted on her social media story Fav director! director Bong I love you along with party photos with director Bong Joon-ho and acquaintances. When it became known that the person sitting next to director Bong in this photo was Yoo Ah-in, the online community was abuzz. The photo was a story post that would be deleted after 24 hours, but screenshots spread quickly, and various communities and social media again raised the Yoo Ah-in comeback speculation. In particular, just being seen with director Bong Joon-ho led to continued speculation that this could be a signal of a return to the film industry.
Yoo Ah-in effectively halted entertainment industry activities while on trial for alleged drug use, but he appeared on screen as the Netflix series Goodbye Earth and the films Seungbu and High Five, which were filmed before the controversy, were released one after another. However, because there had been no official announcement of a next project, this recent update was interpreted as a return signal and attracted attention.
Meanwhile, on the 17th reports even emerged that Yoo Ah-in would return after three years in director Jang Jae-hyun's new film Vampir (working title), further fueling controversy. Vampir was reported to be an occult work with a vampire theme that director Jang Jae-hyun is preparing, aiming to shoot in the second half of next year.
But Yoo Ah-in's side immediately drew a line. A UAA official told OSEN, There has been no decision yet regarding an appearance. Director Jang Jae-hyun also denied it directly. In a phone call with OSEN the same day, he said, It is true that I am preparing a new work with the working title Vampir, but Yoo Ah-in's appearance is not true at all. He added, The script itself has not come out yet. I have never formally approached Yoo Ah-in to ask him to be in it.
Director Jang said, It is true that we talked about recent news and roughly discussed future schedules, but it seems to have been blown up into a completely different story, and added, Yoo Ah-in also said he wanted to stay quietly without a schedule for about a year. He also said, Vampir currently only has a synopsis and a production company has not been decided. Personally, I am looking at a working period through the year after next.
Previously, Yoo Ah-in was indicted and tried from 2020 to 2022 on charges including illegal prescriptions of propofol and sleeping pills and marijuana smoking. Last year, the Supreme Court confirmed a sentence of one year in prison with two years of probation and a fine of 2 million won.
Since his debut in 2003, Yoo Ah-in has been recognized for his acting in films such as Wandering (Wandeugi), Veteran, The Throne, Burning and in dramas such as Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Secret Affair, Six Flying Dragons, and Hell. Although comeback rumors continue to surface, amid repeated denials from his agency and the director, whether he will return to the film industry remains undecided for the time being.
[Photo] 'OSEN DB'
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