South Korea is back in Cannes with a trio of highly anticipated titles, while the market offers fresh features from Bong Joon Ho and Yeon Sang-ho.
Festival
Colony
Dir. Yeon Sang-ho
The acclaimed director of Cannes selections Train To Busan and Peninsula returns to the zombie genre and the Midnight Screenings section with this action thriller. It follows a scientist trapped in a building amid an escalating viral outbreak, as the infected evolve in unpredictable ways. The cast is led by Gianna Jun (Assassination), Koo Kyo-hwan (Escape From Mogadishu), Ji Chang-wook (Revolver) and Shin Hyun-been (Revelations), and the film is produced by Wowpoint and Smilegate in association with Midnight Studio. A local release is set for May 21.
Contact: Showbox
Dora
Dir. July Jung
A young woman struggling with her physical and mental health travels to a seaside town and begins to recover after finding love, but as relationships form so do conflicts. The drama stars actress and former K-pop idol Kim Do-yeon as Dora alongside acclaimed Japanese star Sakura Ando in her first Korean film. Ando has previously attended Cannes with Hirokazu Koreeda’s Monster (2023) and Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters (2018). Jung’s latest plays in Directors’ Fortnight after A Girl At My Door screened in Un Certain Regard in 2014 and Next Sohee premiered in Critics’ Week in 2022.
Contact: Finecut
Hope
Dir. Na Hong-jin
This genre thriller follows a police chief in a remote South Korean village who is drawn into a spiralling mystery after reports of a tiger sighting. The cast includes Korean stars Hwang Jung-min (Deliver Us From Evil), Zo In-sung (TV series Moving) and Jung Ho-yeon (Squid Game), alongside Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. Director Na makes his Competition debut after Croisette premieres for The Chaser (Out of Competition, 2008), The Yellow Sea (Un Certain Regard, 2011) and The Wailing (Out of Competition, 2016). Neon has taken English-language markets including the US and UK, while Mubi has Latin America, key European territories and Turkey.
Contact: Plus M Entertainment
Market
Ally
Dir. Bong Joon Ho
The first animated feature from Palme d’Or and Oscar-winner Bong (Parasite) is a family adventure that follows Ally, a curious piglet squid whose peaceful life in the depths of the South Pacific is disrupted when a mysterious aircraft sinks into the ocean. Bong co-wrote the script with Jason Yu, himself a director whose Sleep played Critics’ Week in 2023. The voice cast includes Alex Jayne Go, Bradley Cooper, Ayo Edebiri and Werner Herzog. Set to be completed in the first half of 2027, Neon has taken North American rights.
Contact: Pathé; CJ ENM (select Asia territories)
Bok-ja’s Special Rice Cake Shop (working title)
Dir. Kim Gyung-yoon
This comedy drama follows a shop owner and a debt-ridden man who become unlikely partners when the rice cakes they create become a sensation. But the secret behind their success leads to unexpected consequences. The cast is led by Ra Mi-ran (Hi-Five) and Ko Kyong-pyo, who reunite after starring in hit TV series Reply 1988. Minnie of K-pop girl group i-dle also stars. Producer Kim Young-min’s credits include 2024 blockbuster Exhuma. The film is in post and set for release in 2027.
Contact: Showbox
Canvas Of Blood
Dir. Jang Hoon
This 15th-century period drama follows royal brothers Prince Suyang and Prince Anpyeong, who clash over the throne. The lead roles are taken by Park Bo-gum of Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines and Kim Nam-gil of Netflix series Trigger and feature Nocturnal. Director Jang is known for A Taxi Driver, Korea’s biggest box-office hit of 2017 and the country’s Oscar submission. Produced by Doodoong Pictures, Canvas Of Blood is in post-production.
Contact: Plus M Entertainment
Day And Night (working title)
Dir. Kim Jong-kwan
This romantic drama is set in a café and follows the love stories of four couples, whose relationships range from sweet to bitter. The ensemble cast includes Shim Eun-kyung of Locarno 2025 Golden Leopard winner Two Seasons, Two Strangers; Kim Min-ha from Apple TV+ series Pachinko; Han Seon-hwa of 2024 box-office hit Pilot; and Handsome Guys star Lee Hee-jun. Director Kim’s credits include anthology feature The Killers and Netflix series Persona. Now in post-production, a local release is planned for this year.
Contact: K-Movie Entertainment
Gulf Of Aden (working title)
Dir. Kang Tun-sung
This action thriller revisits a true incident in 2011 when South Korean cargo ship Samho Jewelry was hijacked by Somali pirates. It marks the latest from director Kang, whose 2017 crime action film The Outlaws starring Don Lee was the first in the blockbuster Roundup franchise. His credits also include Disney+ series Low Life and Big Bet. Cinematography is by Hong Kyung-pyo, whose credits include Parasite and Na Hong-jin’s Competition title Hope. A release is planned for 2027.
Contact: K-Movie Entertainment
Last Signal
Dir. Shin Min-jae
This drama centres on a building that is on the verge of collapse after a sinkhole incident. As the danger grows, four young people connected to the building in different ways begin to uncover corruption. The cast is led by Jin Ji-hee of hit series The Penthouse: War In Life, Park You-na (A Man Of Reason), Han Hyun-min (The Mutation) and Song Geon-hee (Lovely Runner). Director Shin has previously won acclaim with shorts Mom Is Absent and Seongbuk Port. The producer is Gozip Studio, known for The Girl On A Bulldozer and The Other Child.
Contact: Hive Filmworks
Ode To My Father 2
Dir. JK Youn
More than a decade after Ode To My Father became one of South Korea’s highest-grossing films of all time, director Youn returns with a sequel starring Lee Sung-min (No Other Choice) and Kang Ha-neul (Squid Game). Beginning in the 1960s, the story follows a father and his estranged son as they move in parallel through pivotal moments in history, including 1987’s June Democratic Struggle, the Los Angeles civil unrest of 1992, the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and the 2002 World Cup. Shooting is underway on the feature, which is produced by JK Film.
Contact: CJ ENM
Paradise Lost
Dir. Yeon Sang-ho
After action horror Colony, which plays here in Midnight Screenings, director Yeon is readying a drama thriller about a mother whose son returns after being presumed dead for nine years. The cast is led by Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyeon-Seong, both from Yeon’s Netflix series Hellbound. Produced by Wowpoint, a release is planned this year. Yeon is also known for Train To Busan, which premiered at Cannes in 2016, and Peninsula, which played here in 2020.
Contact: CJ ENM
Reapers On Duty
Dir. Lee Kae-byeok
This dark fantasy comedy followers a pair of grim reapers — a rookie who goes by the book and a pro who breaks the rules — who become involved in the forbidden act of extending life. It stars Hyungwon of K-pop group Monsta X and Lee Min-ki from 2024 supernatural horror Devils Stay. Lee is known for 2016 action comedy Luck-Key. Produced by Takeone Studio, the feature is in post-production.
Contact: Finecut
Sapiens
Dir. Lee Hu-bin
A man who shares his body with four different identities wakes up with blood-soaked hands and the word ‘Run!’ scrawled on a mirror. He becomes the prime suspect after the disappearance of a wealthy man and must interrogate his own identities to reveal the truth. This mystery thriller stars Jung Sung-il (The Glory), You Chea-myung (Harbin) and Park Myung-hoon (Parasite). Directed by Lee (Disney+ series No Way Out: The Roulette), Sapiens is produced by Twinfilm, whose feature The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil played in Midnight Screenings at Cannes in 2019.
Contact: Hive Filmworks
Shaving
Dir. Kim Jung-hoon
A traumatised writer and her lover confront a monstrous presence from her nightmares in this horror feature. The cast is led by Roh Jeong-eui (Badland Hunters), Kasamatsu Show (Good News), Byun Yo-han (Hansan: Rising Dragon) and Shin Ryu-jin of K-pop girl group Itzy. It marks the latest from director Kim, whose Tinker Ticker premiered at Tokyo International Film Festival in 2013, and is produced by Star Platinum, the company behind Netflix black comedy Good News, which premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Shaving is in post-production and is set for release this year.
Contact: Contents Panda
Sinner
Dir. Hong Sun-min
This drama follows a nominee for minister of justice who begins to uncover the truth behind a past case linked to a letter from Sun-hwa, the last death row inmate in Korea. The cast is led by Jung Sung-il of Murder Report and Disney+ series Made In Korea alongside Park Ji-hyun from Netflix’s You And Everything Else and Lee Jun-young of Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines and DP. It marks the feature directorial debut of Hong and is in post-production.
Contact: Redice Entertainment
Six Lying College Students
Dir. Kim Jung-hoon
Based on an award-winning Japanese novel by Akinari Asakura, this drama thriller centres on six college students who are all in the running for a job at a global IT company. On the day of the final interview, mysterious envelopes arrive, each containing one of their secrets, leading suspicions to spread among the group. The ensemble cast comprises Cho Yi-hyun, Kim Jae-won, Shin Seung-ho, Kang You-seok, Kwak Dong-yeon and Bae Gang-hee. Produced by Covenant Pictures, a local release is planned for this year.
Contact: Contents Panda
Soulbound
Dir. Hong Eui-jeong
In this fantasy comedy, a woman turns into a ghost after an unjust death and encounters a goblin who has spent 400 years wanting to become human. The unlikely pair set out on a deadly journey when the woman’s younger brother is placed in danger. The cast is led by Kim You-jung of Netflix film 20th Century Girl, Park Ji-hwan from blockbuster franchise The Roundup, and Parasite star Cho Yeo-jeong. Director Hong is known for her debut Voice Of Silence, which won best film at Fantasia in 2021 and best director at the Asian Film Awards. Now in post, a release is planned for Q2 2027.
Contact: KT Studiogenie
Stoneborn
Dir. Lee Deok-chan
The creators of horror blockbuster Exhuma return with an occult mystery that centres on a mysterious and sacred stone, said to grant any wish. Jongseo Jeon of Cannes 2018 drama Burning plays a woman who returns to her hometown after the sudden death of her younger sister. There she encounters a shaman, played by Sul Kyung-gu (Good News), as increasingly disturbing events begin to unfold. Produced by Cinematic Moment and Pinetown Production, filming is set to wrap in June, and a local release is due in 2027 through Acemaker Movieworks.
Contact: Barunson E&A
The Sword: Rebirth Of The Red Wolf
Dir. Kim Han-min
This historical action epic is set after the fall of Goguryeo, one of the three ancient kingdoms of Korea. It follows a man who loses his memory, becomes a slave and enters a brutal gladiator tournament centred around a legendary sword. Director Kim is known for blockbuster epics The Admiral: Roaring Currents and Hansan: Rising Dragon. The cast is led by Park Bo-gum (When Life Gives You Tangerines), Joo Won (Firefighters), Lee Sun-bin (Noise) and Kim Hyoung-seo (Gangnam B-Side). Production is underway and a summer 2027 release is planned.
Contact: Redice Entertainment
Three Of A Kind
Dir. Han Dong-wook
Caught up in the heat of the moment, three women plan a bank robbery that spirals out of control in this crime action feature. The cast is led by Yum Jung-ah (Sky Castle), Cha Joo-young (The Glory) and Kim Hye-yoon (Salmokji: Whispering Water). Director Han is known for 2014 romantic drama Man In Love, which was remade into a 2021 Taiwan film of the same name and as 2024 Thai feature Love You To Debt. Producers are Sanai Pictures, Plus M Entertainment and Story Rooftop, and the film is in post-production.
Contact: Plus M Entertainment
Wi-Fi Love In The Palace
Dir. Sa Seok-choon
This time-travel romance revolves around a mysterious cabinet and follows a webtoon artist desperate for a hit and a palace maid who wants to become a royal concubine. It stars Younghoon of K-pop group The Boyz, Lusa from series The Woman Who Swallowed The Sun and Kim Dong-jun, whose credits include period drama Korea-Khitan War. Director Sa previously co-directed fantasy drama series Bon Appétit, Your Majesty. Produced by Takeone Studio, the feature is in post-production.
Contact: Finecut
Wild Sing
Dir. Son Jae-gon
Twenty years after an unexpected scandal broke them apart, legendary K-pop band Triangle reunite and embark on a journey back to the stage in this comedy from the director of 2020’s Secret Zoo. The cast includes Gang Dong-won of past Cannes selections Broker and Peninsula alongside Um Tae-goo (Night In Paradise), Park Ji-hyun (You And Everything Else) and Oh Jung-se (Hi-Five). Produced by About Film, the banner behind box-office smash Extreme Job, a local release is set for June 3 through Lotte Entertainment.
Contact: Lotte
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