Hoyeon, a SAG Award winner and Emmy nominee known for her roles in Squid Game and Disclaimer, is set to star alongside Theo James in Kim Jee-woon’s upcoming film, The Hole.
International distribution rights for the film are being handled by The Veterans, who are showcasing it to buyers at AFM. Meanwhile, CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group are managing the U.S. distribution rights.
The Hole, based on Hye-young Pyun’s novel, which won the 2017 Shirley Jackson Award, is written by Christopher Chen. The story follows Owen (James), a professor living in South Korea who is left physically incapacitated following a tragic car accident that claims his wife, Sandy (Hoyeon).
As Owen recovers under the care of his Korean mother-in-law, Yuna, secrets about Owen and Sandy’s troubled marriage begin to surface, threatening his already fragile path to recovery.
The film is being produced by Sam Esmail, Chad Hamilton, and Nick Krishnamurthy of Esmail Corp, alongside Kimberly Steward and Alex Foster of K Period Media, and Andy Sorgie from Paisan, a KPM-backed banner. Jay Choi and Kim Jee-woon are also involved in production, with Soon Ho Song serving as a co-producer for Anthology Studios.
Filming will take place in both the United States and Korea, with principal photography set to begin in early to mid-2025. The film will feature dialogue in both English and Korean.
Currently seen alongside Cate Blanchett in Alfonso Cuarón’s psychological thriller Disclaimer on Apple TV+, Hoyeon will next star in Na Hong-jin’s Hope, sharing the screen with Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender. She is represented by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
The Veterans, led by Vincent Maraval and Kim Fox, has been behind several major projects, including Emilia Perez, an Oscar contender directed by Jacques Audiard and starring Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez; Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here featuring Fernanda Montenegro; Luca Guadagnino’s Queer starring Daniel Craig; Jean-François Richet’s Mutiny with Jason Statham; and Vicky Jewson’s Ballerina Overdrive, starring Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, and Iris Apatow.
New films in development include Paper Tiger by James Gray, starring Adam Driver, Jeremy Strong, and Anne Hathaway, and Jim O’Hanlon’s Fackham Hall, with Thomasin McKenzie and Katherine Waterston.