Latest news with #TheRoundup
Mint
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
What to watch this week: ‘Gram Chikitsalay', ‘The Royals', and more
Prince Aviraaj falls for career-minded Sophia in this clash-of-cultures series. The eclectic cast has Bhumi Pednekar and Ishaan Khatter in the lead, and support from Zeenat Aman and Sakshi Tanwar. Created by Rangita and Ishita Pritish Nandy. (Netflix) A man honours his late mother by opening an Italian restaurant run by actual nonnas (grandmothers) as the chefs. Starring Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco,Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Joe Manganiello and Susan Sarandon. Directed by Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower). (Netflix) A couple reunite in heaven. He was bedridden for a large part of his life and she took care of him. In heaven, the tables are turned: he's in his 30s and she's in her 80s. Starring Kim Hye-ja (The Light in Your Eyes) and Son Suk-ku (The Roundup; Nothing Serious). (Netflix) Actor and newly minted Padma Bhushan awardee Ajith Kumar stars in this action-comedy that entered the ₹ 100-crore club within five days of its theatrical release in April. Directed by Adhik Ravichandran, the film has Ajith playing a retired gangster who has to pick up the cudgels once again to help his son out. The cast also includes Trisha Krishnan and Arjun Das. (Netflix) TVF isn't known for fixing what isn't broken. Their latest series is squarely in Panchayat territory, a droll comedy-drama about an idealistic young doctor (Amol Parashar) who tries to revive a village clinic. Created by Deepak Kumar Mishra. (Amazon Prime) Jane Schoenbrun's 2024 film, I Saw the TV Glow, starring Justice Smith and Jack Haven, begins with dreamy unreality and ends with necessary struggle. It's a film that speaks to the trans experience, but in a complex, fractured manner. It's a shattering, haunting work, so unlike the explanation-driven American cinema of today that it seems to invent its own language. Schoenbrun instinctively arrives at a Lynchian kind of dread. Yet, I Saw the TV Glow is also achingly beautiful. Schoenbrun and cinematographer Eric K. Yue use saturated colours and shimmers of neon the way Gregg Araki, a pioneer of New Queer Cinema, did in the 1990s. (Netflix) Two members of a special forces group called Shadow Force break the rules by falling in love with each other. They have a child and are living a regular life. But then their old employer comes after them, and they're forced to go underground. Shadow Force has a standard action movie premise. But Joe Carnahan (Smokin' Aces, The Grey) has made a career out of tough actioners. And it will be intriguing seeing Kerry Washington (Scandal, Django Unchained) in fight mode. Her co-lead is Omar Sy, best known for playing the titular thief in the Netflix series Lupin. Also starring Mark Strong, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Cliff 'Method Man' Smith. (In theatres)
Geek Tyrant
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Trailer for the Occult Action Horror Movie HOLY NIGHT: DEMON HUNTERS — GeekTyrant
Here's the trailer for wild-looking action horror film titled Holy Night: Demon Hunters , which stars Train to Busan breakout star Don Lee ( The Roundup ), who leads a team of battling exorcists. Lee plays Bau in the film, 'the leader of a secret team known as Holy Night, that hunts down demon-worshipping cults threatening Seoul. Alongside Sharon (Seohyun), who can detect and exorcise demons, and Kim-kun (David Lee), their tactical support, the team faces a rising evil. 'When psychiatrist Jung-Won (Kyung Soo-Jin) seeks their help to save her younger sister Eun-Seo (Jung Ji-So) from demonic possession, the mission becomes more dangerous than ever.' In the story, 'Seoul descends into chaos as a devil-worshipping criminal network emerges. In a desperate plea for salvation, the police turn to 'Holy Night'—a secretive trio of demon hunters armed with supernatural powers.' The upcoming action horror hybrid was written and directed by Lim Dae-Hee from a story by Don Lee. Watch the new trailer below and let us know what you think! Capelight Pictures releases Holy Night: Demon Hunters the movie is out now.
South China Morning Post
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Ma Dong-seok on new action-horror movie Holy Night: Demon Hunters and its dark-hero energy
Actor and producer Ma Dong-seok, best known for his bone-crunching action in the The Roundup series, is set to captivate audiences once again, this time venturing into the occult with his latest film, Holy Night: Demon Hunters. Advertisement In the movie Ma plays Bau, a formidable troubleshooter using his fists to exorcise demons as a leader of the 'Holy Night' team. The 54-year-old actor, also known as Don Lee, expressed his enthusiasm for the project in a recent interview, highlighting the action sequences made possible by the film's fantasy elements. 'I put a lot of effort into the action sequences, and the fantasy genre allowed for a more impactful and refreshing result,' he said. He also shared his satisfaction in supporting the debut of director Lim Dae-hee. While working on the highly anticipated next instalments in The Roundup series, with at least one expected to film next year, Ma focused on the unique aspects of Holy Night: Demon Hunters.
Korea Herald
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Interview: Ma Dong-seok trades criminals for demons
Korean action star discusses ghostbusting adventure 'Holy Night: Demon Hunters' and art of embracing typecasting Korean cinema has its own immovable object. Where Hollywood boasts Dwayne Johnson, South Korea counters with Ma Dong-seok — an actor whose boulder-like physique and jackhammer fists have become a bankable genre unto themselves. In an industry struggling to reclaim prepandemic viewership, Ma's fist-first persona has demonstrated remarkable resilience. His "Roundup" franchise — where Ma's blunt-force detective pulverizes criminal enterprises — has accumulated over 40 million admissions, with three consecutive installments since 2022 each surpassing the coveted 10 million threshold. "I've wanted to be a character actor like Jackie Chan since I was young," Ma explains, his massive frame barely fitting the chair in a cafe in Seoul. "Just as his every film becomes a 'Jackie Chan movie,' regardless of the role, I've accepted my films will carry that same signature." What casual viewers might not notice is that Ma, also known as Don Lee, isn't merely an action machine but a seasoned producer and creative force. Since co-developing 2017's "The Outlaws," which birthed the lucrative "The Roundup" franchise, Ma has constantly carved out his cinematic universe from behind the scenes. His latest venture, "Holy Night: Demon Hunters," opening Wednesday, represents his most ambitious conceptual departure yet — pivoting from crime-busting to occult showdown. "I've built an expansive fictional universe," Ma says. "I've mapped everything out with backstories and interconnections. What you see in the film is just a small part of it — the rest is being serialized in a prequel webtoon right now." More surprising still, "Holy Night" relegates Ma's typically outsized presence to secondary status. The film's intense exorcism sequences center on Sharon, played by Seohyun, with Ma's Bau serving primarily as her enforcer. This intentional repositioning reveals Ma's priorities. "I designed this film around the confrontation between Sharon and Eun-seo (the demon-possessed girl played with unsettling zeal by Jung Ji-so)" Ma explains. "My character just handles the peripheral threats — I'm essentially a sidekick. People might think otherwise because my face is plastered all over the marketing, but I wanted those two to be the stars." This approach requires a precarious balancing act: Ma must juggle between the shadow of exorcism genre tropes and the prototype of his own screen persona — the unstoppable force whose fists solve all problems. When asked about the film's stylistic choices, Ma admits they initially attempted bold departures before retreating to familiar ground. "We tried hard to avoid the familiar beats of exorcism films," he says. "But the more we veered away from those conventions, the stranger it became. So we had to circle back and maintain certain frameworks that audiences expect." Further complicating the picture is the action component. Most audiences flock to theaters looking for Ma's demolition job, yet fresh contexts demand innovation. Ma shares with surprising conviction that keeping his trademark style was a conscious choice rather than a creative liability. "There's going to be some deja vu, definitely," he admits. "When we were developing the script, I actually proposed playing a completely different character. But after discussions with everyone involved, we decided to keep the 'Ma Dong-seok character.' Since it's ultimately an action film with fantasy elements, we thought that's what people wanted." This self-awareness, however, seems to only add another layer to a film that operates as a funhouse of same-old elements — jumpscare horror, demonic possession complete with gibberish incantations and ritualistic interrogations, and bone-crunching beatings — all accelerating at dizzying speed. The real issue is less the structural familiarity than the textural incoherence. In its determination to spotlight exorcism elements while preserving Ma's trademark beatdowns, the narrative contorts itself unnaturally. Ma's character curiously avoids direct engagement with supernatural forces (that's almost entirely Sharon's jurisdiction) and instead focuses on pummeling Satanic cultists who exist solely as his human punching bags. As a result, the film's demonic horror and action sequences seem to compete for attention as parallel sideshows rather than blend organically. Credit where due: "Holy Night" does reach out for some novel elements. The extensive use of security camera footage, which Ma describes as "a way to ground fantastic elements in reality," provides found-footage framing that occasionally transcends mere contrivance. The comedy, too, quite frequently sticks the landing. But as expected from Korean cinema's knockout specialist, the action itself remains the film's most reliable element. And it is here where Ma most visibly reveals his sincere craftsmanship. "People may not notice, but I constantly analyze the physics of impact," he explains. "If I hit someone, how much should their head turn? Three-quarters, not all the way. How would the body realistically fall? Even with wire work for the fantasy elements, we carefully designed each impact for maximum catharsis." Ma's professional plate appears perpetually overloaded. Beyond his continued "Roundup" commitments (he confirms filming for the fifth installment will begin next year), he's currently shooting "Pig Village," a Hollywood-targeting project he's producing alongside his future Marvel obligations. He also runs a boxing gym where he trains regularly. Ma, however, is a person who thrives on restlessness. For him, each new project isn't a drain but a recharge that fuels his creative engine. "Acting consumes a lot of energy. Some people recharge by resting, but I recharge through productive work. Creating something — writing, developing ideas — actually fills me back up."
