Director JK Yoon, known for Tidal Wave and Ode to My Father, is mounting an English-language martial arts thriller called Belladonna. The film was revealed at Hong Kong FilMart and will begin shooting this summer. Production partners include the K-Tigers and veteran action producer Mike Leeder.
What the film is about
The story follows a seasoned contract killer who is ordered to vanish. She takes her own route to freedom, reinventing herself in Seoul as a flower shop owner and even finds love. Peace does not last long. A ruthless figure from her past returns and tries to tear down the quiet life she has built, forcing her back into the violent world she wanted to leave.
The creative team
JK Yoon wrote the screenplay and will direct and produce through his JK Film banner, part of CJ ENM. This will be his first film directed in the English language.
Yoon says it is time to refresh Korean martial arts cinema and introduce what he calls K-kick Cinema to global audiences.
K-Tigers and their role
Co-producer An Chang-bum is CEO of K-Tigers, the Seoul-based taekwondo performance group founded in 1990 by Grandmaster Hak Sun An. K-Tigers are known for live shows that blend Olympic taekwondo techniques with acrobatics and aerial martial arts. They also run branded training schools worldwide and field competitive teams.
Members of K-Tigers have previously appeared on screen in titles such as:
- Pan
- The Kick
- The Healer
- My Sassy Girl
Mike Leeder and action credentials
Mike Leeder of Red Packet Media joins as a producer. He brings a long history in action films, with credits that include Fearless, Rush Hour 3, entries in the Ip Man franchise and The Raid 2. He says he has long been a fan of Korean cinema and the K-Tigers, and looks forward to helping introduce a new female action star to global audiences.
The star: Taemi
Taemi makes her English-language starring debut in Belladonna. A former world taekwondo champion, she is signed to K-Tigers Entertainment and performs with the mixed-gender troupe K-Tigers Zero. Her past screen work includes The Kick, Healer and My Sassy Girl. She also served as martial arts director on the Oscar-winning global hit K-Pop Demon Hunters.
Taemi says taekwondo has been part of her life since childhood and that through Belladonna she wants to share the power and beauty of the art with audiences worldwide.
Music and tone
The film will feature a K-pop soundtrack created by producers who have worked with acts like Blackpink and BTS, and who contributed to the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack. The goal is to pair kinetic martial arts action with contemporary K-pop style.
Where things stand
Belladonna was presented at Hong Kong FilMart and plans to begin principal photography this summer. The creative team positions the film as a fresh take on Korean martial arts cinema with international reach.
