ROARING CURRENTS Director Returns with New Period Naval Epic

Roaring Currents (2014) director KIM Han-min is returning to the legendary historical figure Admiral YI Sun-sin for his next film, the period naval epic Hansan: Rise of the Dragon (translated title). PARK Hae-il will play the Admiral in the film, while BYUN Yo-han will portray his Japanese rival.

Taking place five years prior to the events of Roaring Currents (2014), the film will fictionalize the Battle of Hansan Island, which took place in 1592. Over the course of two major battles, Admiral YI thwarted a larked Japanese fleet and halted their advance along the southern coast.

PARK Hae-il recently starred alongside SONG Kang-ho in The King’s Letters (2019) and is known for his collaborations with BONG Joon-ho, such as Memories of Murder (2003) and The Host (2006) and will be seen opposite CHOI Min-shik, who incidentally portrayed YI Sun-sin in Roaring Currents (2014), in the upcoming IM Sang-soo film The Road to Happiness. BYUN Yo-han recently starred in the time slip romance Will You Be There? (2016) and the time slip thriller A Day (2017).

The cast will also feature screen legend AHN Sung-ki (Unbowed, 2012), SON Hyun-ju (Hide and Seek, 2013), KIM Sung-kyu (The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, 2019), KIM Sung-kyun (Golden Slumber, 2018), KIM Hyang-gi (Innocent Witness, 2019), OK Taec-yeon (House of the Disappeared, 2017), GONG Myoung (Extreme Job, 2019), PARK Ji-hwan (The Battle: Roar to Victory, 2019) and JO Jae-yun (THE OUTLAWS, 2017).

Released in the summer of 2014, Director KIM’s third film Roaring Currents became the most successful Korean film of all time, with over 17.6 million viewers, a title it still holds today. Hansan: Rise of the Dragon is the second in a planned trilogy of works focusing on Admiral YI.

The project is scheduled to begin principal photography on June 18 and is anticipating a summer release next year.