CHOI Dong-hoon 2-Part Fantasy Epic Kicks off 10-Month Long Shoot

CHOI Dong-hoon’s upcoming two-part blockbuster Alien (translated title) kicked off shooting on March 28. Production had originally been scheduled for earlier in the month but was delayed due to mounting safety concerns surrounding the Covid-19 public health crisis. Leading the cast in the big-budget project, which will shoot two installments concurrently over a reported 10 months, are KIM Tae-ri, RYU Jun-yeol and KIM Woo-bin.

Alien, described as a crime sci-fi film, tells the story of aliens living in Korea who travel in time to the Joseon Era. It is the latest film from hitmaker CHOI, who previously made Tazza: The High Rollers (2006), The Thieves (2012) and Assassination (2015).

KIM Tae-ri, known for her breakout role in PARK Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden (2016), has appeared in 1987: When the Day Comes (2017) and Little Forest (2018). She will also soon be seen in the space drama Victory Ship (translated title) with SONG Joong-ki.

RYU Jun-yeol has appeared in a slew of major titles in recent years, including The King (2017), A Taxi Driver (2017), Believer (2018), Money (2019) and The Battle: Roar to Victory (2019). He was also KIM’s co-star in Little Forest (2018).

The film will mark KIM Woo-bin’s comeback following the 2016 hit Master. KIM had been cast as the lead in CHOI Dong-hoon’s Wiretap, a remake of the 2009 Hong Kong thriller Overheard, but went on hiatus following a cancer diagnosis, from which he has since recovered.

Also featuring in the starry lineup will be JO Woo-jin (The Battle: Roar to Victory, 2019), YU Jae-myeong (Bring Me Home, 2019), YUM Jung-ah (Intimate Strangers, 2018), SO Ji-sub (Be With You, 2018), and KIM Eui-sung (TRAIN TO BUSAN, 2016).

The first installment of Alien is expected to hit screens in summer 2021.