Actor Yoo Ah-in attends a script reading for "Vampir" [NEW]
Actor Yoo Ah-in attends a script reading for "Vampir" [NEW]

Actor Yoo Ah-in, who received a suspended sentence last year after being indicted on charges including habitual use of narcotics, has officially announced his return to acting by joining director Jang Jae-hyun's new film in a lead role.

Distributor NEW said Tuesday that the film "Vampir" has completed its casting lineup — which includes Yoo Ah-in, Lee Sung-min and Lee Jun-hyuk — and will begin full-scale production this month, targeting a theatrical opening in 2028.

"Vampir" is a mystery occult film following an unidentified contract killer hired by a clergyman to track down a mysterious heretical group. Director Jang — whose previous films include Exhuma (2024), "Svaha: The Sixth Finger" (2019) and "The Priests" (2015) — is at the helm.

Photos from a script reading were also released, showing director Jang alongside Yoo Ah-in, Lee Sung-min, Lee Jun-hyuk, Doi, Yun Gyeong-ho and Choi Hyun-wook.

Yoo, who had kept a low profile following a Supreme Court ruling, marks his official comeback with this project. He plays the contract killer pursuing the heretical group — a bold, unflappable character who gradually changes as he confronts the enigmatic figures he is sent to hunt.

Actor Lee Sung-min attends a script reading for "Vampir" [NEW]
Actor Lee Sung-min attends a script reading for "Vampir" [NEW]

Lee Sung-min plays a clergyman who breaks a taboo in pursuit of his convictions. Drawing on his deep experience, he anchors the film as a figure torn between responsibility and guilt.

Lee Jun-hyuk transforms into a heretic consumed by a desire for eternal life. The role of a mysterious girl shrouded in secrecy went to newcomer Doi, who won the part through a competitive audition. Yun Gyeong-ho plays a smuggling broker who ends up traveling with the heretical group. Choi Hyun-wook rounds out the cast as a US Army second lieutenant with an unknown agenda.

With its principal cast confirmed and production underway, "Vampir" is set for a theatrical opening in 2028.


balme@heraldcorp.com