Korean sales agent Showbox has pre-sold action film Rough Cut to Pony Canyon for Japan.

Directed by Kim Ki-duk protege Jang Hun, the $1.5m film wrapped principal photography last month.

The film stars Kang Ji-hwan and So Ji-sub - well-known in both Japan and Korea for their TV drama performances. Kang plays a violently abusive, gangster-like star who hospitalises a fellow actor. He ends up getting So's character, a real-life gangster who wants to be a star, to act in his film - but on the condition that they do all the action sequences for real and not as stunts.

Co-producers Kim Ki-duk Film and Sponge Entertainment held a wrap event yesterday (Aug 12) showing footage and a making-of film with the filmmakers and stars present.

Rough Cut is due for release Sept 11, distributed by Studio 2.0.