jang hyuk

Streaming Sleepers: Jang Hyuk Is THE KILLER, Now On Tubi!

Ui-gang is a retired hitman whose wife takes a trip and leaves him with her friend’s 17-year-old daughter, Yoon-ji. He looks after her when Yoon-ji is in a dangerous situation. Choi Jae-hoon’s celebrated actioner of 2022 with lead actor Jang Hyuk in The Killer is currently enjoying a physical media release in other territories. It remains to be seen if that will be the case for the U.S., while folks are now welcome to plop in front of their screens at home to catch it on FAST platform, Tubi TV. I’ve said plenty about this film on social media, in addition to my coverage overall, and thankfully I’m not alone in this film’s reception since last summer. Honestly, I wish this film had a better promotional campaign as it’s Hyuk’s biggest publicity move in the states since us westerners caught wind of him a la MTV’s remix of Volcano High, […]

THE KILLER: Is Jang Hyuk’s Latest A Knock On Hollywood’s Door?

Lee B. Golden III

At some point, you have to wonder just when actor Jang Hyuk will make his crossover into Hollywood. The best or rather closest inflection point at one time would have been his latest action thriller feature, The Killer, believe it or not. Enter South Korean sensation Jang Hyuk who plays a notorious hitman who’s long since found happiness in a quieter, much more idyllic life as a married man with a business and his own home office. Tasked by his vacationing wife to watch over his friend’s daughter, it isn’t long before the young rebellious girl finds herself in danger, with our hero thrust once more into action to rescue the girl by any brutal, bloody and violent means necessary. The film is chock-filled with stirring and slick action and brutality with Hyuk and filmmaker Choi Jae-hoon now two-for-two since 2019’s The Swordsman. Par for the course is our anti-hero’s […]

THE KILLER: Jang Hyuk’s Award-Winning Action Thriller Now Available To Pre-Order On iTunes

Lee B. Golden III

It’s the film following up on the successful 2019 sword thriller, The Swordsman. It’s the film that found Korean sensation Jang Hyuk trekking across oceans to tend to audiences in Hollywood and ultimately in New York City. It’s the film that earned the action star the Daniel A. Craft award for excellence in action cinema. And now…it’s the film you will get to see courtesy of its upcoming iTunes release from March 7, that is, The Killer, from director Choi Jae-hoon. Hyuk plays a former assassin-turned-businessman living the quiet work life. With his wife and her friend set for a trip of their own and promising to babysit her friend’s rebellious daughter, it’s not long before she finds herself in danger at the hands of an underground trafficking ring, forcing our hero out of retirement and back into his former skillset to unleash bloody, bone-crushing hell to save her life. […]

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THE SWORDSMAN Review: Choi Jae-Hoon’s Feature Debut Sets The Stage For Jang Hyuk’s Rising Starpower

Lee B. Golden III

2022 has been a banner year for actor Jang Hyuk who just recently toured his latest action thriller, Choi Jae-hoon’s The Killer, in Los Angeles, as well as in New York City where he donned his best charm upon receiving the Daniel A. Craft award for Excellence In Action Cinema at the New York Asian Film Festival last month. In good company, Jang and his team also managed to bring along another celebrated title to mark the occasion at the NYAFF with a screening of Choi’s 2020 feature debut, The Swordsman. Choi garnered a few notches on his belt in the field of art direction and production design on films like Detective Mr. Gong, 2007’s The Cut and Kim Cheol-han’s Outlaw in 2010. I haven’t seen these films yet myself, but they’re worth highlighting for those who may still be new to Choi and his work, particularly as he becomes […]

Fantasia XXVI Review: THE KILLER, Jang Hyuk Steers A Cold-Blooded, Action-Packed Thrillride!

Lee B. Golden III

Originally published August 2: After their success with The Swordsman, agreeably, it would only make sense that the respective star and director of that film would join forces for another venture. Thus, we have Choi Jae-hoon’s latest, The Killer, a ubiquitous production that has since gone on to see South Korean actor Jang Hyuk on a major stateside promotional tour for the film this summer. Invariably, the film does play on some familiar action movie tropes and even lends a jocular nod to a particular 2010 action thriller that fans of South Korean action would immediately recognize. It certainly doesn’t waste any time inviting a brief moment of our hero, Yi-gang (Jang), laying waste to a small group of hooligans in an action sequence that plays out in full way later into the film. Evidently, this all stems from the film’s key premise, which sees our protagonist eventually leading a […]

THE KILLER: Catch The Official Trailer For The New Action-Packed Thriller Starring Jang Hyuk!

Lee B. Golden III

Actor Jang Hyuk‘s reunion with The Swordsman helmer Choi Jae-hun is turning out some great prospects this year. Their latest film, The Killer, has set sail for releases this summer with screening throughout North Americas, including recently in Los Angeles, and this month in time for the twentieth New York Asian Film Festival, with Hyuk in attendance to receive the Daniel A. Craft award for Excellence In Action Cinema in both films. Long story short, it’s a damn good time to be a fan of Jang Hyuk, with The Killer already striking buzz with folks who’ve already screened the film, and while a brief U.S. short promo launched a few weeks ago, it now comes an official trailer over at Apple courtesy of Wide Lens Pictures. A select-theatrical release has been set for July 13, while folks keen on joining the NYAFF crowd can do so at the Walter Reade […]

THE KILLER: Jang Hyuk Awakens With Action Star Prowess In The Official U.S. Teaser Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

https://youtu.be/OHG9uvoiyFg The Swordsman helmer Choi Jae-hoon’s newest action adventure thriller novel adaptation, The Killer, is proudly getting its theatrical release in the U.S. on July from Wide Lens Pictures and Shaw Entertainment. Collider exclusively shared the official trailer which you can view above. Ui-gang is a hit man who has decided to retire. He has a nice house and all the money he needs, but one day his girlfriend takes a trip to Jeju Island and leaves him with a request. Her companion on the trip has a 17-year old daughter Yoon-ji who will be left alone during their three week vacation. Ui-gang reluctantly agrees to look after Yoon-ji and make sure she doesn’t get into trouble. But she does get into trouble. Yoon-ji is not a bad kid, but she makes some poor choices, and before she realizes it, she finds herself in a situation far more dangerous than […]

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PAID IN BLOOD Review: Violence Begets In Yoon Young-Bin’s Brutal Knives-Out Crime Thriller Debut

Lee B. Golden III

Actor Jang Hyuk has been a busy bee in the last few years, with his most recent screen credits focused largely on action. It’s paying off pretty well as he’s about to set sail to a grand red carpet screening in Los Angeles this July for his newest thriller out of Wide Lens Pictures with director Choi Jae-hoon’s The Killer, following their previous proliferated work on Well Go USA’s period actioner, The Swordsman. By the by in 2020, Yoon Young-bin would catch on with an opportunity of his own, debuting at the helm for a new film that would reunite Hyuk with actor Yu Oh-seong just off of filming JTBC Joseon period drama, My Country: The New Age. That film now arrives in the form of Paid In Blood, the latest release out of Well Go USA Entertainment’s Hi-YAH wheelhouse, following its local release in South Korea where the film […]

PAID IN BLOOD: Well Go USA’s HI-YAH Cashes In With An Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA’s has proudly unveiled its official trailer for Yoon Young-bin’s debut crime thriller, Paid In Blood, previously released late last year in Korea as Tomb Of The River. The film joins a raft of pending U.S. acquisitions by the Texas-based firm, with a June 17 premiere exclusively on the company’s niche Asian streamer, HI-YAH. When a powerful crime ring starts construction on the largest casino in all of Asia, the group is challenged by a young, vicious gangster (Jang Hyuk) from Seoul who will stop at nothing to gain power. In a desperate attempt to stop the newcomer’s plot to kill his way to the top, the gang’s leader declares all-out war on the man and his followers. Paid In Blood stars Jang Hyuk and Yu Oh-seong, along with Park Seong-geun, Oh Dae-hwan, Lee Hyun-kyun and Shin Seung-hwan.

THE KILLER: Jang Hyuk Is The Man In Black In The Newest Poster

Lee B. Golden III

Basic black is pretty much the main theme here in what we now see with the newest official poster for Choi Jae-hoon’s new film, The Killer (dubbed regionally as The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves To Die). The film, which stars Jang Hyuk and is based on a novel by Bang Jin-ho, was recently acquired by Wide Lens Pictures for its U.S. release to coincide with its July release in South Korean theaters. Hyuk plays a retired hitman forced back into his former trade when, after being charged with the care of his wife’s friend’s daughter with the two on a trip to Jeju Island, the young girl is suddenly kidnapped by a trafficking ring. The film marks a reunion between Hyuk and Choi who previously paired on period actioner, The Swordsman. Also starring are martial arts star Bruce Khan (Revenger), and actress Lee Seo-young (SomeAir), along witb Lee Seung-joon (Vanishing), Bang Eun-jung (Twenty […]

Jang Hyuk Actioner THE KILLER Sets Korean And U.S. Releases In July, Lands More Territories

Lee B. Golden III

Choi Jae-hun’s latest action thriller, The Killer, is already running on high after screening for the Far East Film Festival this year, and closing multiple deals in Europe and throughout Asia in the last few months. With sales brand M-Line Distribution keeping the momentum going at the Marché du Film this month, we now have word from Screendaily‘s Jean Noh that the film will go to Wide Lens Pictures for a same-day release in accordance with its South Korean release through on July 6. Other acquisitions were taken by Trinity CineAsia for its UK release, as well as Middle East through Vox Cinemas, CIS through Vlg Film and Italy via Blue Swan Entertainment. Previous territories include (Klockworx), Hong Kong and Southeast Asia (Clover Films), Taiwan (Movie Cloud), and in German-speaking territories (Splendid), as well as the Netherlands and Switzerland. Dates for all remain pending. Pairing once more with his The […]

THE KILLER International Trailer: When Hitman Jang Hyuk Retires, Let Him…Or Else!

Lee B. Golden III

Actor Jang Hyuk will be banging it up for this month’s installation of the Far East Film Festival with two titles. One is Tomb Of The River. The other is much more important as it’s the latest from the actor along with director Choi Jae-hun for an action-packed look at the official trailer for The Killer. The hit man’s last mission: Keep the girl safe and sound. Ui-kang is a retired hit man. While his wife goes on a trip with her friend, she asks him a special favor to take care of her friend’s daughter. He doesn’t want to be bothered by the teenage girl but Yoon-ji gets stuck with juvenile delinquents and Ui-kang unavoidably uses a little bit of violence to protect her. However strangely, the juvenile delinquents are found dead and things start to get serious. Even worse, Yoon-ji is kidnapped by a teenager trafficking unit and […]

THE KILLER: Jang Hyuk Goes Hitman In The Newest Thriller With ‘The Swordsman’ Director

Lee B. Golden III

You probably wouldn’t have guessed what actor Jang Hyuk was up to at this point given the more idiomatic title used for his latest reunion with The Swordsman helmer Choi Jae-hoon. Nevertheless, the two are indeed back together and have since shot new action thriller, The Killer (quite the palatable choice here for action fans, I allege), which is now in post-production as of its most recent launch at EFM. Choi’s The Killer is reportedly based on a novel by Bang Jin-ho, and stars Jang as Bang Yi-gang, a hitman retiree, then asked by his wife’s friend to look after her teenage daughter while the two ladies are away on a trip. Things go haywire when our ex-hitman is forced to use a little violence to protect the young girl from juvenile delinquents, only to get pulled back in deeper when the assailants are murdered, and the girl suddenly gets […]

TOMB OF THE RIVER Trailer Sees Gangland Retribution With Yu Oh-Seong And Jang Hyuk Front And Center

Lee B. Golden III

Only because Gangneung isn’t as internationally marketable as one might hope, folks outside the Koreas may take a liking to the latest Jang Hyuk/Yu Oh-seong starrer more aptly with the title, Tomb Of The River, helping earn some appeal. Slated for a local release next month of course, K Movie is repping the film internationally and so it’ll help to keep some eyes on how acquisitions look going forward. The boss of the biggest crime gang in Gangneung, O, plans to construct the largest resort in Asia. His most trusted underboss Gil-suk (Yu) leads a comfortable life, carrying out O’s orders every day without ever dreaming of betraying him. Min-suk (Jang), a young gangster from Seoul with brains and ambitions, decides to jump into the resort business to build up his own influence. Min-suk uses all sorts of violent and deceitful means to acquire the resort. This puts O’s gang […]

THE SWORDSMAN Swings For The UK This May

Lee B. Golden III

Anyone within reach of Trincity CineAsia’s distribution map these days can certainly expect something fun to watch in May with the release of Choi Jae-hoon’s period actioner, The Swordsman. Jang Hyuk leads the based-on-a-true-story sword thriller which centers on Tae-yul, a 17th century sword progeny rendered reclusive following the residual effects of an injury he sustained in a failed effort to prevent the downfall of the 15th king Gwanghae. After years of living in the mountains with daughter Tae-ok, Tae-yul soon finds himself thrust into the upheaval of the Ming-Qing transition, and back into battle when Tae-ok, after vying for a position in a noble family to help pay for Tae-yul’s eye treatment, is taken by Qing slave traders, led by the vicious Lord Gurutai (Joe Taslim). The film also stars Kim Hyun-soo and Jeong Man-sik, and will release in the UK on DVD & Digital from May 17, and […]

THE SWORDSMAN: Win A Copy Of The Bladed Period Action Epic From Well Go USA

Lee B. Golden III

Well Go USA is currently rolling out some very choice titles from its library to start the year, one of which includes The Swordsman which introduces actors Jang Hyuk (Empire Of Lust), Kim Hyeon-soo (Be With You), Joe Taslim (The Raid: Redemption, Fast & Furious 6), Jeong Man-sik (Beasts Clawing at Straws), Lee Na-kyung (Battle for Incheon: Operation Chromite) and Lee Min-hyuk (A Love to Kill). The film is proudly getting a release very soon on DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital on February 12, and we’re giving away two copies for those who aren’t blinded by a little trivia: The Swordsman action director, Hong Eui-jeong, shares the same credit on a 2014 movie that earned its lead star four Best Actor wins within multiple awards and nominations two years in a row. Name the actor AND the movie. Re-read that question VERY carefully, and if you’re confident, shoot the answer over […]

GANGNEUNG: Jang Hyuk And Yu Oh-Seong Star In New Action Noir

Lee B. Golden III

Jang Hyuk (The Swordsman, Empire Of Lust), seen pictured above in a photo via HanCinema.net will be back on screen in the new year with Gangneung, along with actor Yu Oh-seong (Champion, The Great Battle). The upcoming action noir wrapped in early December from screenwriter and debut director Yoon Young-bin, and is described according to Korean film portal Daum as “a film depicting the ambitions, conspiracy, and betrayal of different organizations surrounding the construction of the largest resort in Gangneung”. Further details include character descriptions for Hyuk who stars as Min-seok, a gangster who loansharks and eventually sets his sights on Gangneung, where Chairman Oh (to be played by Yu) is top boss. Hyuk delved further into his character in a piece quoted at HelloKPop via Sports Donga back in October: “It was new because it seems to be a new noir that I can show in 2020. Minseok is […]

THE SWORDSMAN Unsheathes Its First Teaser With Jang Hyuk And Joe Taslim

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been three years since production launched for Choi Jae-hoon’s feature directing debut, The Swordsman. The film is finally set to release in Korea on September 17 and judging by the first official teaser trailer, the film looks like it’ll be worth the wait! The Swordsman takes place after the dethronement of Gwanghaegun, leaving Joseon in chaos amid the conflict between the Ming and Qing Dynasty. When his daughter, Tae Ok (Kim Hyun-Soo) is kidnapped by the subordinates of the imperial Qing family’s best warrior, Gurutai (Joe Taslim), vanished, half-blind swordsman Tae-yeul (Jang Hyuk) re-emerges and picks up the sword once more to confront the army, led by a man who vows to become the best even in the Joseon Dynasty. The film also stars Jeong Man-Sik, Lee Na-Kyung, Lee Min-Hyuk, Jang Hyun-Sung, Kim Yun-Tae and Choi Jin-Ho.

THE SWORDSMAN First Look Teases A Glimpse At Jang Hyuk And Joe Taslim

Lee B. Golden III

If you’re still on that Joe Taslim swag after The Night Comes For Us, be sure to look out for him in The Swordsman opening next year. Volcano High star Jang Hyuk leads the cast front and center, joined by Taslim and reuniting with fellow Ordinary Person cohort, Rampant co-star Jeong Man-sik. Tae-yeul (JANG Hyeok), a swordsman in his thirties goes out to find his only daughter after losing one of his eyes. MIN Seung-ho(JEONG Man-sik), The Joseon Dynasty’s best swordsman chooses an ordinary simple life after perceiving the transient nature of power. Gurutai (JOE Taslim), the best swordsman in Qing Dynasty aspires to become the best even in the Joseon Dynasty. There’s no release date yet for this latest outing from feature debut director Choi Jae-Hoon who previously served in the art departments for Pang Eun-jin’s Princess Aurora and Gong Jeong-shik’s Detective Mr. Gong. The film hails from Opus […]

Joe Taslim Joins Korean Period Drama, SWORDSMAN

Lee B. Golden III

Last year saw quite the needed breath of fresh air for fans of actor and martial artist Joe Taslim. For this, we currently await for things to culminate following the completion of Timo Tjahjanto’s solo debut at the helm, The Night Comes For Us, marking another progressive step forward for Taslim who shined in 2011 thriller, The Raid, and hasn’t held back on his career growth ever since with Justin Lin’s Furious 6 and Star Trek: Beyond under his belt. Nowadays Taslim is adding to the scope of his prospects with the current production of director Choi Jae-hoon’s new period drama, Swordsman from Opus Pictures. Taslim will be joined by lead actor Jang Hyuk (Volcano High, The Flu, Empire Of Lust) for a story centered on a blind swordsman and his daughter amid the decline of the Ming Dynasty and rise of the Qing Empire. Also starring are Hyuk’s Ordinary Person […]