LOS ANGELES, May 6: South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun, known internationally for Netflix’s “Squid Game”, has signed on to star in an upcoming martial arts action film set in the early Joseon Dynasty.
According to Deadline, the movie is currently titled “Nambeol” and is backed by renowned South Korean production banner Hive Media Corp.
Described as a hard-boiled martial arts action flick, the movie follows nine warriors who travel to Tsushima Island to rescue Korean captives kidnapped by Japanese pirates.
Lee, also known for movies such as “I Saw The Devil” and “No Other Choice”, will play the leader of the group.
Though not based on specific historical events, the story is set during a period when Korea faced frequent Japanese pirate raids.
“Nambeol” marks the directorial debut of veteran cinematographer Lee Mo-gae, whose credits as director of photography include “A Tale of Two Sisters”, “Asura: The City of Madness” and “Exhuma”.
He previously collaborated with Lee Byung-hun on “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” and “I Saw the Devil”.
Lee Byung-hun is currently filming Disney+ series “The Koreans”, a reimagining of the FX series “The Americans”.
His most recent film, Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice”, premiered at the Venice film festival last year and was selected as Korea’s submission for the Academy Awards. (PTI)
