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A new trailer has been released for the upcoming South Korean crime thriller Karma (Korean: 악연). The series is written and directed by Lee Il-hyung and stars Park Hae-soo, Shin Min-a, Lee Hee-joon, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Kwang-soo, and Gong Seung-yeon. It is based on the popular Kakao Webtoon Ill-fated Relationship by Choi Hee-seon. The series will premiere on Netflix on April 4, 2025.

Karma follows the lives of people trapped in a dangerous web of fate. A man makes an irreversible deal after witnessing a mysterious accident. A doctor struggles with a lifelong trauma after meeting someone from her past.

Another man, drowning in debt from cryptocurrency investments, finds himself in a desperate situation. Meanwhile, a man who loses his job unfairly is drawn into a risky deal. Their lives become deeply connected through bad luck and fate.

The series features a strong cast, including: Park Hae-soo, Shin Min-a, Lee Hee-joon, Kim Sung-kyun,...

Netflix has released an official trailer for its upcoming K-Drama series, Karma. In its official logline, the show is teased as a thrilling tale of karma and crime, in which a fateful incident will intertwine six lives and have each of them face dark truths and connections. The show stars Squid Game season 1's Park Hae-soo (who played Cho Sang-woo), alongside Shin Min-a, Jun Hee Lee, and Gong Seung-yeon. Filmmaker Lee Il-hyung serves as the creator of the series and is known for directing 2022's Remember and A Violent Prosecutor.

Netflix's channel on YouTube, Netflix K-Content, has released a second trailer for the upcoming series Karma. The first teaser for the series was posted about two weeks ago and currently has 167 thousand views, with a lot of excitement directed toward Park and Shin's involvement. Park's role as Player 218 in Squid Game season 1 no doubt brought a lot of traction to his name and,...

Here’s a trailer for Karma, the latest Korean Netflix original. Starring Park Hae-soo, Shin Min-a, Lee Hee-jun, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Kwang-soo and Gong Seung-yeon, the show premieres on April 4.

Trailer opens with a chilling request, as a man pleads: “I need you to kill someone. My father.” A car accident follows, bringing together a crew of characters who find that they have more in common than they had first imagined.

The series is adapted from Kakao webtoon Karma and written and directed by Lee Il-hyung, who made box office hit A Violent Prosecutor.

Karma revolves around a fateful accident, which intertwines six lives in a tale of karma and crime, where each must face their own dark truths and connections.

These characters include: A desperate debtor who uncovers a 500 million won insurance policy on his father’s life and begins plotting, a woman who comes face-to-face with the source...

Disney+ Announces Korean Espionage Series ‘Tempest’: Cast, Plot, & Release Date Explored ( Photo Credit – IMDb )

Disney+ is adding an exciting title to its slate of Korean dramas. The streaming giant has announced a new espionage thriller series titled Tempest. The show is about a diplomat and a special agent who team up for a dangerous mission.

The series’ lead cast has been confirmed, including two famous A-listers. Disney+ has also unveiled the release window for the spy series. Here are all the updates we have so far about Tempest.

Disney+’s Tempest Plot: A Diplomat and an International Agent Collaborate to Stop a Deadly Attack

Tempest, earlier titled North Star, revolves around an accomplished diplomat who served as an ambassador to the US. The other protagonist is a former mercenary and an international special agent whose identity and nationality remain mysterious. The two take up a mission to uncover the...

Two South Korean superstars Gianna Jun and Gang Dong-won head the cast of “Tempest,” an espionage action drama series being readied by streaming service Disney+ for release next year.

The contemporary Korea-set story sees Jun portray a highly-accomplished diplomat and former ambassador to the U.S. Gang portrays an international man of mystery, a former mercenary and special agent but of unknown nationality. Together, they race to uncover the truth behind a lethal attack that threatens the future stability of the Korean peninsula.

“Tempest” (previously known as “North Star”) is directed by Kim Heewon and co-directed by Korea’s leading martial arts director Heo Myunghaeng (“The Outlaws 4”). The screenplay is by Park Chan-wook’s regular partner Chung Seokyung, who has writing credits including “Decision to Leave,” “The Handmaiden” and “Little Women”.

Jun (real name Jeon Ji-hyun) has credits including “My Sassy Girl,” “My Love From the Star” and “Kingdom: Anshin of the North.

Can you believe that Christmas is less than a week away? Five new horror movies come down the chimney this week in celebration, including the at-home debut of a recent box office hit.

Here’s all the new horror releasing December 19 – December 24, 2023!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

Based on his fake trailer from the Grindhouse Double Feature (2007), Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving hit theaters last month, and it was surprise-released on PVOD at home yesterday.

You can rent the film for $19.99 or purchase it (digitally) for $24.99.

In Thanksgiving, “After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts – the birthplace of the infamous holiday.”

The cast for the feature length slasher movie includes Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Jalen Thomas Brooks (“Walker”), Milo Manheim (Zombies), Nell Verlaque (“Big Shot”), Gina Gershon (“Chucky”), Tim Dillon and Rick Hoffman (Hostel).

Roth wrote the script with Jeff Rendell.

Korean content streamer Kocowa is adding feature films to its mix. To indicate the change, the streamer is adding a “+” to its name.

More than 100 feature films are being added, including A Violent Prosecutor, one of the top-grossing Korean films of 2016. Lee Il-Hyung, its writer/director, was nominated for Best Director at the Grand Bell Awards, Korea’s version of the Oscars. Korea’s top grossing R-rated film of all time, Inside Men, was also added. The film won the Grand Bell for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay in 2016. Also on board is action-comedy Luck-Key, staring Yoo Hae-jin, a Korean film star, and Grand Bell award winner.

The film library joins the fare offered by Korea’s top three broadcasters, Kbs, Mbc, and Sb. The service offers K-Dramas, reality shows, and other programming.

Kocowa+CEO KunHee Park said in a statement that the streamer is profitable.

“We were...

The Japanese occupation was no doubt a terrible time for Korea. The medium of film has portrayed this period often. ”A Violent Prosecutor” director Lee Il-hyeong takes a unique approach for his sophomore feature by telling a modern-day set revenge story rooted very much within the emotional scars left behind by the Occupation.

Synopsis

Pil-joo, a retired soldier of his 80s with dementia, goes in search of the people he believes to be responsible for the death of his family in the past. With 5 names tattooed on the fingers, and pieces of his collapsing memories, Pil-joo tracks down his target and kill them one by one. A young innocent guy In-gyoo unintentionally gets involved in his revenge, and eventually becomes the prime suspect of the murder that Pil-joo committed. To prove his innocence, and to stop this old man’s rush, In-gyoo can’t help but accompanying Pil-joo’s revenge journey.

Superstar Korean actor and producer Gang Dong-won has signed up with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for representation outside Korea.

Gang joins a string of Korean on-screen talent securing international representation as the country’s creative sector is propelled to the fore by films such as “Parasite” and “Peninsula” and by TV shows such as “Squid Game.”

He continues to be represented in Korea and Japan by Lee Gi Wook at Yg Entertainment.

Gang, who has a mechanical engineering degree and was initially scouted as a model, transitioned to acting in 2004 with “Too Beautiful to Lie” and “Temptation of Wolves,” the latter of which earned him the best new actor award at the 24th Korean Association Critics Choice Awards.

Since then, he has had a string of hugely successful roles in hit films including crime tales “A Violent Prosecutor” and “Master,” as well as fantasy “Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard” and...

Pre-sales also closed on crime feature ‘Dirty Money’.

South Korea’s Acemaker movieworks is launching sales ahead of the EFM on Remember, a Korean remake of Atom Egoyan’s 2015 Nazi-hunter film that starred the late Christopher Plummer.

The thriller, in post-production, is directed by Lee Il-hyung, whose 2016 crime film A Violent Prosecutor recorded 9.7 million admissions and took $69.5m at the local box office. Leading cast members include Lee Sung-min (The Man Standing Next) and Nam Joo-hyuk (The Great Battle).

The story is set in Korea where a retired octogenarian soldier with dementia goes in search of vengeance against pro-Japanese collaborators,...

Park Jung-bae has been an assistant director on a couple pretty big productions for Cj Entertainment, namely “Miss Granny” and “Silenced”. Now, he is all set to make his director debut with the production giants with the upcoming “Collectors”.

Synopsis

Kang Dong-goo is an elite grave robber. He works with ancient tomb mural expert Dr Johns and legendary shoveler Sabdari.

Meanwhile, curator Yoon is an expert in ancient art. She offers an attractive, but dangerous deal to Kang Dong-goo, involving a grave robbery in the heart of a city.

The eclectic star-cast includes Lee Je-hoon as Kang Dong-goo, Jo Woo-jin as Dr Johns, Im Won-hee (“Forbidden Dream“) as Sabdari and Shin Hye-sun as curator Yoon. The caper film is scheduled for a November, 2020 release.

Exclusive: Peninsula, the hit sequel to 2016 Korean zombie smash Train To Busan became a runaway success when it bowed locally in mid-July, at the time setting an opening day record for the year. It has now grossed about $28M at home, where it is the No. 3 movie of 2020, and has done significant numbers in other Asian markets. It releases today in the U.S. via Well Go USA on 125 screens including multiple sites each in Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta as well as some California drive-ins. Well Go previously released Peninsula in Canada on August 7 where it has grossed $336K. In his first interview in English, star Gang Dong-won recently chatted with Deadline about the film and the thriving Korean industry even as he seeks out more international projects.

Gang has been acting since 2003, and has made a name for himself in such titles as Temptation Of Wolves, Duelist, M, Woo-Chi: The Taoist Wizard,...

Director Choi Sang-hoon (“The Whispering”) is back with his new film “The Therapist: Fist of Tae-baek”, a martial arts action comedy.

Synopsis

“The Therapist: Fist of Tae-baek” is an authentic martial arts action piece with comedy that has never been seen in Korean movies. The movie deals with the events that occur when a victor of the traditional Art of Taebaek opens an acupuncture treatment shop.

The film stars Oh Ji-ho (“The Grand Heist”), Shin So-yul (“A Violent Prosecutor”), Jung Eui-wook (“Start-Up”) and more. It is expected to release in August, 2020.

“Peninsula,” a Korean-made zombie horror action movie, has unveiled an 8K trailer ahead of its premiere in theaters this summer. The film is a four-years-later sequel to “Train to Busan,” which smashed multiple records around Asia.

Despite its genre film status “Train” got its launch at the 2016 Cannes festival as a midnight screening, before conquering the summer season in Korea and the Asia region. “Peninsula” is set for a similar course, having been named in the official selection of this year’s virtual Cannes.

It is aiming for a July release, but the exact date has not been locked in due to the uncertainties in the releasing calendar caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Distributor Next Entertainment World and its rights sales unit Contents Panda say that international releases will be closely co-ordinated as soon as the Korean outing is confirmed.

Korean cinemas reopened last month. And, after an initial hesitation,...

If there’s one thing the Korean film industry does well, it’s action thrillers. Director Son Seung-hyun, tries his hand at the genre for his debut film too, after having served as assistant director in films like “Pluto”.

Synopsis

A woman who appears like fate, I will protect her till the end!

Soo-han, who lost both his loved one and the motivation to live, works at a private loan company with his colleagues, Tae-yeong and Jin-cheol. Then one day, Soo-han helps Ye-jin, who was being chased by gangsters, by hiding her in the house. Actually, Ye-jin is the only successor of Taejin Group, and is being chased by Cheol-woong who wants to take over the group. Meanwhile, CEO Cho, the CEO of the private load company, starts looking for Ye-jin at the request of Cheol-woong, and soon learns that Soo-han and Ye-jin were related …

“Bodyguard” mostly stars young, fresh faces,...

The latest court procedural film to come out of South Korea is “Innocence” by first-time director Park Sang-hyun.

Synopsis

A mother who doesn’t recognize faces is suspected of poisoning someone to death, her daughter decides to defend her mother and reveal the truth behind the case.

“Innocence” stars Shin Hye-sun (“A Violent Prosecutor”), Bae Jong-ok (“Five Senses of Eros”), Heo Joon-ho (“Default“) and Hong Kyung. It is expected to release in South Korean cinemas in March, 2020.

Shoot is underway on UK psychological horror Censor from debut director Prano Bailey-Bond. Rising UK actress Niamh Algar (pictured) is starring in the feature, which is produced by Helen Jones of Silver Salt Films. The film follows a woman who, in her job as a film censor, discover an eerily familiar horror film that speaks directly to her past. Backing came from the BFI, Ffilm Cymru Wales and Film4. Protagonist Pictures is handling sales on the title after recently selling out on UK horror Saint Maud, which was also a debut.

Juliette Binoche will receive the European Achievement in World Cinema honorary prize at this year’s European Film Awards (EFAs), which take place in Berlin on December 7. Binoche was an Oscar winner in 1997 for her role in Anthony Minghella’s The English Patient, a performance for which she also picked up a European Film Award. She also won EFAs...

Leading tech company takes majority stakes in Moonlight Film and Sanai Pictures.

Kakao M Corp, the entertainment division of South Korean tech giant Kakao Corp, has entered the film industry by acquiring majority stakes in local production houses Moonlight Film and Sanai Pictures.

Kakao operates Korea’s leading mobile messaging service KakaoTalk, as well as the Daum web portal, streaming platforms for TV, music and webtoons, shopping services and navigation apps.

Moonlight Film and Sanai Pictures, which often collaborate, are known for films such as the recent Ryu Jun-yeol-starrer Money, Yoon Jong-bin’s Cannes thriller The Spy Gone North, Kim...

With a history as rich and vast as the peninsula of Korea’s, it is no surprise that films based on the lives of revered national figures are made in South Korea in plenty. It is, however, baffling that no film that focused specifically on the very eventful life of activist, freedom fighter and the last Premier of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, Kim Koo, had been made so far. He is finally given his just dues in Lee Won-tae’s biopic “Man of Will”, starring Cho Jin-woong and Song Seung-heon, which focuses on his early days when he was still called Kim Chang-soo.

The film starts with the fight that would change the course of Kim Chang-soo’s life, where he ends up killing a Japanese man. As it turns out, Kim Chang-soo killed the man because he suspects him of having assassinated the beloved Empress Myeongseong,...

Sales include UK/Ireland, Japan and French-speaking territories.

South Korea’s Cj Entertainment has sold Yoon Jong-bin’s Cannes Midnight Screenings title The Spy Gone North to 111 countries, including UK/Ireland (Signature Entertainment), Japan (Twin) and French-speaking territories (Metropolitan Filmexport).

Based on actual events in the 1990s, the thriller follows a South Korean agent played by Hwang Jung-min (The Battleship Island), who goes undercover as a businessman to North Korea to infiltrate their nuclear facilities, plagued by political machinations from both sides.

The film also stars Lee Sung-min (A Violent Prosecutor), Cho Jin-woong (The Handmaiden) and Ju Ji-hoon (Along With The Gods: The Two Worlds...

“1987: When the Day Comes“. With an impressive ensemble cast and polemic real-life story, director ’s powerful portrayal of the events that led to Korea’s historic June Democratic Uprising was as much a hit with audiences as it was with critics when it stormed the box-office at the start of this year.

In 1980s South Korea, the military regime of President Chun Doo-hwan pushes the masses to breaking point with its widespread corruption and oppression. In 1987, a series of events will be set in motion through which the heroic actions of ordinary people from all walks of life result in nationwide protests, altering the course of the nation’s history forever.

When a student protester dies under police interrogation, the order is given to quickly cremate the body, effectively burying the evidence. Unfortunately for Director Park, the head of the Anti-Communism Investigations Bureau in Seoul desperately trying to cover up the crime,...

Jang Joon-hwan's historical drama 1987: When the Day Comes won the Audience Award at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, as the festival wrapped up its 20th edition in fine style. Shuichiro Ueda's meta zombie comedy One Cut of the Dead took second place, while Ryoo Seung-wan's rousing war-time epic The Battleship Island came in third. 1987 boasts an all-star ensemble cast that reunites The Chaser and The Yellow Sea co-stars Ha Jung-woo and Kim Yoon-seok alongside Kim Tae-ri (The Handmaiden), Gang Dong-won (A Violent Prosecutor), Yoo Hae-jin and Park Hee-soon, to name just a few. The film recounts the student uprisings across Korea 30 years ago, known as the June Democracy Movement, which led to the country's first democratic elections. A bold...

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