Kim Hong-sun, the Korean director of “Project Wolf Hunting” and Season 3 of British crime drama “Gangs of London,” is shooting “The Hit List,” a martial arts revenge actioner set during Korea’s Joseon era, with Jung Woo-sung and “Squid Game” star Wi Ha-jun.
“The Hit List” adapts a Kakao webtoon that has drawn more than 120 million views. The story follows Han Myeong-hoe, among the most powerful men of the Joseon era, who climbed to the top through bloodshed. Opposite him is Baek E-hwa, a woman who loses everything to Han and turns her life over to revenge. Han’s right-hand man, Jang Gil-do, is a fearsome warrior in his own right.
Jung, whose credits include “12.12: The Day,” “Hunt,” “A Man of Reason” and “The Good, the Bad, the Weird,” plays Han. Wi, known for the “Squid Game” series, plays Grand Prince Suyang, who relies on Han’s support in his bid to take the throne from his young nephew.
Two of Kim’s “Gangs of London” collaborators have followed him to the set. Lars Cox, who has worked on HBO’s “House of the Dragon” and Netflix’s “The Witcher,” is director of photography. Gaffer Kieran Waites, who has worked on Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” and the “Fast & Furious” films, has also joined.
South Korean sales company Finecut unveiled the project. It said the film pairs Korean storytelling with international production know-how, particularly for its big action scenes and period world. “The Hit List” is Finecut’s second project with Kim after “Project Wolf Hunting.”
Kim’s earlier genre work includes “Traffickers” (2012), “The Con Artists” (2014), “The Chase” (2017) and “Metamorphosis” (2019). “Project Wolf Hunting” (2022) bowed in the Midnight section of the Toronto International Film Festival. It then played Sitges, Brussels and other festivals and was distributed in more than 70 countries. Kim later signed with WME, the agency that represents Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon Ho.
Cheum Film, Studio Take, Library Company and B&C Group are producing, and Mascot Company is presenting. Cameras started rolling in October.
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