Lee Joon-ik Returns to Cinema After 5 Years

Director Lee Joon-ik is returning with a new film, tentatively titled 'I am a Firefly,' after a five-year hiatus. Park Hae-il, Park Seo-joon, and Choi Dae-hoon have been offered roles. Park Hae-il has confirmed his participation and is finalizing details, while Park Seo-joon and Choi Dae-hoon are currently reviewing the offers.

The film, 'I am a Firefly,' is set against the backdrop of a dictatorship in 1974. It tells the story of Detective Jun-kyung, who strives to escape the clutches of guilt by association. He visits Hwayong Village, drawn by the bait offered by a mysterious elder named Man-seop. Through his investigation into the secrets of the villagers, who live as if erased from the world, Jun-kyung will shed light on the horrific truth of the National Guidance League massacre that occurred in 1950.

Park Hae-il will play Man-seop, the 'Button Grandpa,' a character who appears to live having forgotten his past but possesses sharp insight and formidable strength, leading Jun-kyung to the secrets of Hwayong Village. Park Seo-joon has been offered the role of Jun-kyung, a detective in the National Police Agency whose father is under surveillance. He is a character who conforms to the organization's logic for upward mobility and survival, but faces the stark reality of state violence and experiences internal conflict when confronted with hidden truths. Choi Dae-hoon is expected to join as Tae-sik, a former military officer deployed to Hwayong-myeon and Man-seop's nemesis, who now confronts Jun-kyung.

Director Lee Joon-ik has previously depicted human lives and beliefs within historical contexts in films like 'King and the Clown,' 'Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet,' 'Park Yeol,' and 'The Book of Fish.' In this new work, he is expected to explore state violence and the scars of the era with his characteristic weighty and profound perspective. The film will be produced by Migo Works and Kirin Pictures. The title is being considered for a change from 'I am a Firefly' to '​Age of Barbarism.' The film is currently in pre-production and is aiming to begin filming in October.