This spring, Yoo Ah-in and Lee Byung-hun's film "Victory," the hottest topic in theaters, achieved good results by ranking 1st at the box office. Meanwhile, another film starring Yoo Ah-in, "High Five," announced its release.

Previously, Yoo Ah-in was indicted without detention for violating the Narcotics Control Act on charges of administering propofol 181 times from 2020 to 2022 and illegally obtaining sleeping pills 44 times under another person's name from 2021 to 2022.

Afterward, he was sentenced to a year in prison, two years of probation, a fine of 2 million won, a confiscation order of 1.548 million won, 80 hours of community service, and 40 hours of drug treatment lectures before being released. However, the prosecution has submitted a notice of appeal, and he is currently awaiting a ruling from the Supreme Court.

Amid this, the film "Victory," which he grants, gained attention by performing remarkably at the box office. Just last week, the film "Victory" crowned the weekend box office for three consecutive weeks, showcasing a surprising momentum. "Victory" not only surpassed the break-even point of 1.8 million admissions but also maintained the box office top position for three weeks in a row.

In particular, the praise for the performance of the famous actors continued. Starring Lee Byung-hun, along with Ko Chang-seok, Hyeon Bong-sik, Moon Jeong-hee, and Jo Woo-jin, all exhibited remarkable performances. However, Yoo Ah-in, at the center of the controversy, was thoroughly excluded from the poster as well as from trailers and promotional materials. Director Kim Hyung-joo stated regarding the omission of Yoo Ah-in from promotion, "In the case of the trailer, it was edited out considering that it would be exposed to an unspecified number of people."

Nevertheless, Yoo Ah-in, who was excluded only from promotional activities, played a key character in the film. "Victory" depicts the story of South Korea's greatest Go legend, Cho Hun-hyeon (played by Lee Byung-hun), who challenges the peak once again with his innate competitive spirit after losing a match against his disciple Lee Chang-ho (Yoo Ah-in).

Riding this momentum, the film "High Five" (directed by Kang Hyung-cheol, presented/distributed by NEW, produced by Annapurna Film) confirmed its release date for June 3 on the 21st and unveiled the launch poster. Actor Yoo Ah-in is attracting attention as a lead in the film. Although "High Five" completed filming as early as 2021, it is being released four years later due to the controversy surrounding Yoo Ah-in.

However, NEW noted that Yoo Ah-in would not participate in the film's promotional schedule. Despite this, there are voices saying that Yoo Ah-in is making a rapid return following the film "Victory" and now "High Five."

"High Five" is a comic action drama depicting the story of five people who accidentally gain different superpowers from organ transplants and encounter those who seek their abilities. It remains to be seen whether it will receive a fair evaluation as the first entertaining action film this summer.

[Photo] OSEN DB, movie poster

[OSEN]