Lee Sang-hoon readies ‘Bluefish’ shoot in Busan as cast revealed

EXCLUSIVE: South Korea’s Lee Sang-hoon is preparing to shoot drama Bluefish in Busan, with martial-arts star Yayan Ruhian joining a cast led by Ji Seung-hyun and Cecilia Choi.

The upcoming feature is a Korea-Malaysia-Indonesia co-production that follows a drifter who begins to question his violent past after an encounter with a mute milk delivery girl who embraces joy despite hardship.

Shooting will begin on October 9, on location in Yeongdeok and Busan along the eastern coast of Korea.

The film’s title refers to a type of local fish in Yeongdeok, the hometown of director Lee. “Bluefish has long been part of everyday life,” he said. “Beyond its role as food, the fish’s silence in the ocean serves as a metaphor for those who cannot speak or whose voices go unheard.

“The title reflects this symbolism, echoing the story of a mute girl whose quiet presence transforms the life of a troubled drifter.”

Producer Joanne Goh leads the project through Malaysia-based Jazzy Pictures, marking her company’s first Korean co-production. It previously backed Taiwan’s Nina Wu, which played in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2019, and Pia Marais’s Transamazonia from Locarno 2024.

Ruhian is an Indonesia martial-arts expert known for roles in The Raid and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, who will make a special appearance in the film. It also marks the first role in a Korean film for Hong Kong actress Choi (Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In).

Lee is an actor-turned-director whose directing credits include Family Secrets and Pinwheel.

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