Gangs of London's Kim Hong-sun Shoots Joseon Revenge Film The Hit List

Cameras started rolling in October on "The Hit List," a Joseon-era martial arts revenge film directed by Kim Hong-sun, the Korean filmmaker behind "Project Wolf Hunting" and Season 3 of "Gangs of London." Jung Woo-sung and "Squid Game" star Wi Ha-jun lead the cast, with South Korean sales company Finecut unveiling the project.

The film adapts a Kakao webtoon (a Korean digital comic platform) that has drawn more than 120 million views. That number is the pitch. The story follows Han Myeong-hoe, among the most powerful men of the Joseon era, who climbed to the top through bloodshed. Opposite him stands Baek E-hwa, a woman who loses everything to Han and turns her life over to revenge. Han's right-hand man, Jang Gil-do, is a fearsome warrior in his own right.

Who plays whom?

Jung takes the role of Han. His credits include "12.12: The Day," "Hunt," "A Man of Reason" and "The Good, the Bad, the Weird." Wi, known globally for the "Squid Game" series, plays Grand Prince Suyang, who relies on Han's support in his bid to take the throne from his young nephew.

Who else joined the production?

Two of Kim's "Gangs of London" collaborators followed him to the set:

• Lars Cox, who has worked on HBO's "House of the Dragon" and Netflix's "The Witcher," serves as director of photography.
• Gaffer Kieran Waites, whose credits include Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" and the "Fast & Furious" films, has also joined.

Finecut said the film pairs Korean storytelling with international production know-how, particularly for its big action scenes and period world. "The Hit List" marks Finecut's second project with Kim after "Project Wolf Hunting."

Cheum Film, Studio Take, Library Company and B&C Group produce. Mascot Company presents.

What track record does the director bring?

Kim's genre résumé runs deep:

• "Traffickers" (2012)
• "The Con Artists" (2014)
• "The Chase" (2017)
• "Metamorphosis" (2019)
• "Project Wolf Hunting" (2022)

"Project Wolf Hunting" bowed in the Midnight section of the Toronto International Film Festival, then played Sitges, Brussels and other festivals. It was distributed in more than 70 countries. Kim later signed with WME, the agency that represents Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon Ho.

That festival run and the 70-country footprint explain why international crew members are now on a Joseon-era set. If "The Hit List" repeats that trajectory, Finecut will have another Korean genre export with crossover reach — and Wi Ha-jun will add a period action role to a résumé built on streaming's biggest series.