Action icon Ma Dong-seok's Hollywood project 'Pig Village' has cranked in.
The Hollywood project 'Pig Village' (PIG VILLAGE, hereafter referred to as Pig Village) has Ma Dong-seok as the original creator, producer, and lead actor, and actor and writer Cha Woo-jin, who has entered the ranks of million-sellers with 'The Outlaws 3', wrote the screenplay, while director Lee Sang-yong, who has established the box office invincibility myth of the 'The Outlaws' series, collaborated. Led by Ma Dong-seok, a glamorous cast that excites movie fans, including Michael Rooker, Colin Woodell, Lizette Olivera, Ali Ahn, Abraham Popoola, and Alex Meraz, has been revealed.
'Pig Village' depicts the story of professional bare-knuckle boxer 'Hammer' and various criminals with different motives gathering at a suspicious location along the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego. This Hollywood project, prepared ambitiously by a South Korean production team, has received attention since the planning stage with the backing of Korean capital and systems. 'Pig Village' is a 100% English dialogue work targeting the Hollywood and global markets.
This project adds significance as a milestone that has paved a new path for overseas expansion beyond the mere export of Korean films. Leading the production company Big Punch Pictures, which Ma Dong-seok heads, Nova Film and B&C Content are producing, while Plus M Entertainment and ABO Entertainment are co-partners and distributors.
The focal point of the film is Ma Dong-seok, who serves as the producer and title role. He takes on the role of professional bare-knuckle boxer 'Hammer', delivering a powerful impact to global movie fans with the mega-hit IP 'The Outlaws' series, 'Train to Busan', and Marvel's 'Eternals'. Viewers can expect to experience the essence of Ma Dong-seok's boxing action.
Ma Dong-seok stated, "I have dreamed of making a true Hollywood action film through the Korean production system for a long time. 'Pig Village' will be a completely new work that excites the global market, gathering top-tier talent from both Korea and Hollywood to combine the strengths of each industry."
A casting lineup optimized for the genre surrounding Ma Dong-seok captures attention. Michael Rooker, known for playing 'Yondu' in 'Guardians of the Galaxy', takes on the role of corrupt cop 'Steve', who has a weak spot for Hammer. The iconic meeting of 'Gilgamesh' from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and 'Yondu' raises expectation among movie fans.
Colin Woodell, who left a strong impression in Blumhouse's 'Unfriended: Dark Web' and the recently released Netflix series 'Heart Racing', will portray the cold-blooded 'Randy', who commits serial murders, creating an intense atmosphere.
Adding to the cast lineup of 'Pig Village' are Lizette Olivera from 'National Treasure: Edge of History', Ali Ahn from the Marvel original series 'All Agatha', Abraham Popoola from 'The Marvels', and Alex Meraz from 'The Suicide Squad'.
The actors revealed that Ma Dong-seok was a strong motivation for their decision to join the project before filming began. Michael Rooker noted, "Ma Dong-seok is an incredibly influential person," expressing that he did not want to miss the opportunity to work with Ma Dong-seok and the wonderful production team from Korea on an exciting and fresh film. Ali Ahn stated, "As a Korean American returning to Korea after 20 years, I am proud to have the opportunity to act alongside Ma Dong-seok," while Abraham Popoola mentioned, "I chose this captivating script because I wanted to be in a movie with Ma Dong-seok."
The direction is entrusted to director Lee Sang-yong, who has led the 'The Outlaws' series. Director Lee Sang-yong has built a solid foundation through various genre works as an assistant director and participated in the launch of this representative franchise film of South Korea as the co-director of 'The Outlaws'. He then took the helm for 'The Outlaws 2' and 'The Outlaws 3', becoming a top director with 10 million admissions, and wrote a new box office myth in the South Korean film industry. As the industry focuses on the reunion of Lee Sang-yong and Ma Dong-seok, anticipation for 'Pig Village' is also rising as the two have already collaborated multiple times.
The Hollywood project 'Pig Village', led by Ma Dong-seok, plans to complete filming in the first half of this year and aims for a worldwide release.
[Photo] 'Pig Village'
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