Netflix is announcing “Mantis,” a tentatively titled spin-off to Byun Sung-hyun’s 2023 actioner, Kill Boksoon. Lee Tae-sung will debut direct the pic from a script he wrote with Byun.
The casting lists Yim Si-wan (Unlocked, Emergency Declaration), Park Gyu-young (Sweet Home, Celebrity), and Jo Woo-jin (Narco-Saints, Alienoid) for the new flick which follows Mantis (Yim), an ace assassin returning to a collapsed-order hired killer industry after his vacation. Upon reentering this anarchic world, Mantis encounters Jae-yi (Park), his fellow trainee and rival, and Dok-go (Jo), a retired legendary killer, and realizes they are all vying for the top spot among the killers.
The title character of Mantis was first mentioned in Kill Bok-soon by Cha Min-kyu (Sol Kyung-gu) in the previous film to “have gone on a vacation”. Per the announcement, Mantis Mantis “returns to a chaotic industry in search of new opportunities.”
Byun’s Kill Boksoon premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. Releasing on Netflix the following March, actress Jeon Do-yeon coveted the title character opposite actor Sol, pitting a mother struggling to balance her life as a single mom and a killer.
Mantis (WT) is produced by SEE AT Film Co., LTD, the powerhouse behind films such as Kill Boksoon, Love and Leashes, and Kingmaker.