Actor to star in 'Exhuma' director Jang Jae-hyun's latest, his first role since drug conviction
Yoo Ah-in, the South Korean actor whose career was derailed by a drug conviction, is returning to the big screen with the upcoming supernatural thriller "Vampir" (working title), distributor NEW said Tuesday.
The announcement, which came with photos from a table read that includes the actor, confirms Yoo's first new project since his legal troubles began in 2023. The 39-year-old actor stepped away from public life after allegations that he had habitually used propofol, a controlled anesthetic, along with other drugs.
In "Vampir," Yoo plays a hit man who is hired by a priest to hunt down a shadowy cult. The film is the latest from writer-director Jang Jae-hyun, whose occult thriller "Exhuma" became one of Korea's biggest box office hits of 2024.
Lee Sung-min, Lee Joon-hyuk, Yoon Kyung-ho and Choi Hyun-wook round out the cast. Principal photography began this month, and the film is targeting a 2028 release, according to the distributor.
Considered one of the most talented actors of his generation, Yoo broke through as the villain in the 2015 cop actioner "Veteran" and as the doomed Crown Prince Sado in the period drama "The Throne" the same year. He reached international audiences with Lee Chang-dong's "Burning," which premiered at Cannes in 2018.
As the case made headlines, Netflix dropped him from the second season of "Hellbound," while brands pulled ads featuring him. Last year, the South Korean Supreme Court upheld Yoo's one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, along with a 2 million won ($1,400) fine.
Two films featuring Yoo — "The Match," a drama about the rivalry between professional Go players, and the superhero comedy "Hi-Five" — reached theaters last year. Both had wrapped filming before the investigation began, and their releases had been delayed by years as a result.
moonkihoon@heraldcorp.com