The beefy detective Ma Seok-do (played by Ma Dong-seok, aka Don Lee) goes after an online gambling syndicate, after taking on predatory lenders, kidnappers and drug traffickers in the previous three installments of the hit police action series “The Roundup.”
In the latest film, action sequences take a “different” approach compared with the previous ones, lead actor and producer Lee of “The Roundup: Punishment” said during a press conference held in Seoul on Monday.
“Actors deliver more intense and powerful actions,” he said, adding that each character exhibits different action styles and designs in line with the tone and manner of the action comedy.
The film had its global premiere at last month’s Berlin International Film Festival as part of the special gala section.
“When I first conceived the idea for this film in a small room 10 years ago, I hoped to turn the story into a franchise. Now that I am presenting the fourth installment to audiences, I couldn’t be happier,” he said.
The actor-producer also
noted how impressed he was to witness the film receive a warm reception from critics in Berlin, despite it being an action comedy.
“Now I am curious how Korean audiences will respond to the film,” he said.
“The Roundup: Punishment” revolves around the rugged cop Ma as he pursues the ruthless global drug kingpin, Baek Chang-ki (Kim Moo-yeol), and the cryptocurrency entrepreneur, Chang Dong-cheol (Lee Dong-hwi), who employs illegal online casinos for money laundering.
The previous three installments were immensely successful, with “The Outlaws,” the first installment, attracting 6.88 million viewers in 2017, and both the subsequent installments, “The Roundup” and “The Roundup: No Way Out,” each drawing more than 10 million moviegoers in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
The actor Lee expressed initial concern about whether international audiences would grasp the humor in the film but discovered that his worries were unfounded.
“I was amazed to see there was virtually no language barrier. Like the fall of the Be
rlin Wall, it crumbled down and they responded to the humor perfectly,” said Kim, who played the merciless drug lord Baek.
Kim gained 10 kilograms to portray the main villain, who heads an underground drug cartel after being expelled from a special force due to a murder case.
“The character does not hesitate to employ any means necessary to achieve his goal. His actions are faster than his words, and he possesses exceptional fighting skills,” the actor explained of his character, whom he described as “addicted to violence.”
“I personally like the noir genre, so I wanted to incorporate that into the film,” said director Heo Myeong-haeng, who previously worked as a martial arts choreographer on the first three installments.
“Audiences could enjoy the parallel worlds of the detectives depicted in a lighter and more joyful mood, juxtaposed with the villains cast in a noir atmosphere,” he said.
The film is set to hit local theaters on April 24.
Source: Yonhap News Agency