Hitmaker CHOI Dong-hoon has finalized casting for his highly anticipated fifth feature Assassination, which will begin production this month in Shanghai. Joining him in China will be his The Thieves(2012) co-stars Gianna JUN, LEE Jung-jae and OH Dal-su, while HA Jung-woo and CHO Jin-woong will mark their first appearances in a CHOI film.

 

Set in the 1930s, during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea, Assassination will focus on a small band of fighters carrying out orders to eliminate pro-Japanese supporters by the resistance government. Playing the leader of the squad will be screen siren Gianna JUN (aka JUN Ji-hyun), who will be joined by her The Thieves co-star LEE Jung-jae, playing a resistance fighter, and her The Berlin File co-star HA Jung-woo, taking on the role of a ruthless gun for hire. Character actor OH Dal-su will play HA’s right hand man, while CHO Jin-woong, hot off A Hard Day, Kundo: Age of the Rampant and Roaring Currents, will play a firearms specialist. Also starring will be veteran performer LEE Geung-young.

 

Director CHOI has made a name for himself for his fast-talking and energetic action-thrillers ever since he debuted 10 years ago with The Big Swindle. He hit pay dirt in 2006 with Tazza: The High Rollers, the long in the works sequel of which was released this weekend for the Chuseok holiday in Korea, and then Woochi (2009) and before making The Thieves, which was only the second Korean film to sail past the 13 million admissions mark.

 

The feature will be produced by Caper Films, a company founded by CHOI and his producer wife AHN Soo-hyun, which was also responsible for The Thieves. Financed and to be distributed by Korean studio Showbox/Mediaplex (The Host, 2006; The Thieves), filming for Assassination, which will take place in Shanghai, Manchuria and Korea, will commence shortly in anticipation of a wide Summer 2015 bow.