Ryoo Seung-wan's 'Veteran' sequel invited to Cannes Film Festival

Ryoo Seung-wan, the director behind 2015 action blockbuster “Veteran,” has been invited to the 77th Cannes Film Festival with the film's sequel, “I, the Executioner,” the festival announced Thursday.

The Cannes Film Festival unveiled its lineup in a press conference held in Paris on Thursday. The 77th edition runs May 15-25.

Ryoo’s “I, the Executioner,” also referred to as “Veteran 2” here, was listed in the midnight screening category, which is a noncompetition section dedicated to introducing genres like action, fantasy, horror, thriller and noir. It will be Ryoo’s second trip to Cannes, following a previous visit for his 2005 work “Crying Fist,” which was invited to the director’s week section.

It is the first time for a Korean franchise movie to be invited to the Cannes Film Festival.

“I, the Executioner” picks up on the story of detective Seo Do-chul (Hwang Jung-min) nine years after the first installment, as he is joined by newbie detective Park Sun-woo (Jung Hae-in).

This will mark Hwang’s fourth visit to the prestigious film festival, following “A Bittersweet Life” (2005), “The Wailing” (2016) and “The Spy Gone North” (2018), whereas it will be the first time for Jung.

The movie's distributor CJ ENM said it is the firm's 14th invitation to Cannes, having previously showcased various Korean hit movies since 2005, including 2019’s “Parasite” and 2022’s “Decision To Leave.”

“I, the Executioner” is slated for release at local theaters in the second half of this year.