Yoo Hae-jin and Im Si-wan Eye Korean Occult Film ‘Modub’

Just months after breaking Korean box office records and winning the Grand Prize at the 2026 Baeksang Arts Awards, Yoo Hae-jin is reportedly heading straight back into the supernatural. The veteran actor and Squid Game star Im Si-wan are both in discussions to lead "Modub," a new Korean occult thriller built around the dark mythology of knots. Their respective agencies have confirmed positive interest — and with the team behind Exhuma already on board, the Korean film world is paying close attention.

Both VAST Entertainment, which represents Yoo Hae-jin, and THE BLACK LABEL, Im Si-wan's agency, confirmed to multiple Korean outlets on May 19 that the two actors received offers for "Modub" and are actively reviewing the project. "We received a proposal for 'Modub' and are in positive discussions," each agency stated, adding that no final decision has been made.

What Is 'Modub'?

"Modub" (모둡) — a title derived from the Korean word for "knot" (매듭) — is described as a supernatural occult thriller that draws from the eerie symbolism of traditional Korean knotwork. The film is directed by Park Jong-hyun and produced by Po Entertainment, but what has the industry buzzing most is who else is involved behind the scenes.

ShowBox, the distribution and investment company that co-financed and released Exhuma, has signed on as a co-developer for "Modub." That 2024 film starring Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun, Lee Do-hyun, and Yoo Hae-jin himself became the first Korean occult film ever to surpass 10 million moviegoers, ultimately attracting 11.19 million tickets. For ShowBox to back another occult project with many of the same creative ingredients is a clear signal of confidence in the genre's continued momentum.

Adding further weight to the production, acclaimed director Gang Yoon-seong has joined as a producer. He is best known internationally for The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil (2017), which launched one of Korea's most successful crime film franchises, and for helming the Disney+ noir series Casino. His involvement suggests "Modub" is aiming well beyond a niche horror release and into mainstream blockbuster territory.

Yoo Hae-jin: From Record Books to Haunted Knots

If "Modub" moves forward with Yoo Hae-jin, it will mark a remarkable creative choice for an actor who just had the biggest year of his already extraordinary career. His 2026 historical film The King's Warden (왕과 사는 남자) — in which he played Eom Heung-do, a village warden assigned to guard the exiled young King Danjon (Park Ji-hoon) — drew 16.85 million moviegoers, ranking second all-time in Korean box office history. The film earned him the Grand Prize in the Film Division at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards.

For many actors, a run like this would invite a dramatic pivot — a period drama, a prestige art film, a romantic lead. Instead, Yoo Hae-jin appears to be returning to the genre where he found a new dimension just two years ago. In Exhuma, he played Young-geun, a mortician drawn into a terrifying exhumation ritual, and his performance was widely credited as one of the film's most grounding emotional presences. It proved that he could hold his own in supernatural horror with the same ease he brings to comedies and historical epics.

"Modub" would be Yoo Hae-jin's second occult film in as many major projects, and the second time he'd be working with ShowBox on the genre. His track record speaks for itself: audiences have now seen him deliver in every dramatic register, and the prospect of him navigating the eerie, mythology-dense world of "Modub" has Korean cinephiles and K-movie fans worldwide already anticipating something special.

Im Si-wan's Long-Awaited Screen Return

For Im Si-wan, "Modub" represents a highly anticipated return to cinema after a three-year absence from the big screen. His last film was 1947 Boston, the patriotic sports drama directed by Kang Je-gyu, released in 2023. Since then, he has remained consistently visible on screens — but on streaming platforms rather than in theaters.

International audiences know Im Si-wan primarily from Netflix's Squid Game Season 2 and Season 3, where he played Lee Myung-ki, a cryptocurrency YouTuber whose reckless investment advice dragged others into the deadly games. His portrayal gave the globally watched series one of its most morally complex new characters, and his performance earned widespread praise for balancing charm with cowardice. He also starred in the Coupang Play original Boyhood (소년시대) in 2023, demonstrating his continued range across streaming genres.

Originally a member of the K-pop group ZE:A before pivoting to acting, Im Si-wan has spent the past decade earning recognition as one of Korea's most reliably compelling screen presences. His casting alongside Yoo Hae-jin — a pairing that has never happened before in film — adds a layer of genuine unpredictability to "Modub." Reports suggest their characters could share an "intense ensemble" dynamic, though specifics of the plot remain closely guarded.

Korean Occult Cinema's New Chapter

The announcement arrives at a moment when Korean occult cinema is at a genuine inflection point. Exhuma's blockbuster run in 2024 didn't just break records — it reframed public perception of Korean horror as commercially viable on the same scale as action franchises or historical epics. Before it, occult films in Korea were largely cult-circuit fare. After it, major studios began developing multiple projects in the genre simultaneously.

By late 2025, films like Spirit of Vengeance (with Kim Yoo-jung, Park Ji-hwan, and Jo Yeo-jung) had already entered production in the space "Exhuma" opened up. "Modub" is poised to follow, but with the added prestige of bringing back a key Exhuma cast member and uniting him with one of streaming's most globally recognized Korean actors.

ShowBox's continued involvement in the genre ensures production credibility and marketing muscle. The distributor has proven it understands how to build occult films for wide audiences — not just horror fans — by anchoring them in character, folklore, and emotional stakes. "Modub," with its focus on the ancient symbolism of knots, appears to be pursuing that same balance of dread and depth.

What Comes Next

According to Korean media reports citing industry insiders, "Modub" is targeting late August 2026 as its planned start of principal photography, suggesting a potential theatrical window sometime in 2027. The project is still in the pre-production phase, and no casting has been officially confirmed — both Yoo Hae-jin and Im Si-wan remain "under review," which is standard industry language for late-stage negotiations.

Still, the combination of elements on the table — ShowBox's financial backing, Gang Yoon-seong's producing experience, two of Korea's most bankable screen talents, and a concept rooted in genuinely underexplored Korean folklore — has the project looking like more than just an Exhuma follow-up. It looks like an attempt to define what Korean occult cinema becomes next.

For fans of Yoo Hae-jin, the news confirms what his career arc has suggested for years: that he has no interest in coasting on success. For Im Si-wan, it offers a theatrical showcase after years of building his streaming bona fides. And for K-movie audiences globally, it signals that the occult wave in Korean cinema is nowhere near cresting.