Ma Dong-seok, who has delivered a ‘10 million box office hit’ for three consecutive years with the ‘Outlaws’ series, is returning to the theater.With his new film ‘Holy Night: Demon Hunters’, he is aiming for a fourth consecutive box office hit, as well as the birth of a ‘new Ma Dong-seok series’.

Ma Dong-seok’s comeback film is the blockbuster movie ‘Holy Night: Demon Hunters’, which will be released on the 30th.Armed with a unique genre that combines the occult and action, this film tells the story of ‘Holy Night’, a group of dark solvers who fight against groups that worship evil.Ma Dong-seok plays the role of Bau, the leader of the team consisting of exorcist Sharon(Seo Hyun)and multiplayer Kim Gun(Lee David).

Ma Dong-seok has set an unprecedented record of having attracted over 10 million viewers with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th installments of “The Outlaws” released every spring from 2022 to last year, and has accumulated over 40 million viewers with the “The Outlaws” series alone, including the first installment in 2017 that attracted 6.88 million viewers.As the most certain box office guarantee in Chungmuro at this point, there is extraordinary interest in whether Ma Dong-seok’s new film will be a box office success.

With his signature boxing-based fist action, he has defeated serial killers, gangsters, and even zombies(in Train to Busan)with his bare hands.In his new film ‘Demon Hunters’, he is also drawing attention for confronting a supernatural being called the devil.At a press conference held at Lotte Cinema World Tower on the afternoon of the 21st, Ma Dong-seok revealed his true colors, maintaining the framework of his signature fist action but showcasing a so-called ‘New Marvelous Action’ that enhances fantasy elements with special effects such as wires.

Just like ‘The Outlaws’, Ma Dong-seok participated in the planning and production of this film, and before its release, he released the webtoon ‘The Holy Night: The Zero’, which deals with the main character Bau’s past life, and opened up the possibility of ‘expanding the worldview’ through sequels.This is also the background to the expectations that ‘The Holy Night’ will become a new ‘Ma Dong-seok series’ following ‘The Outlaws’.

Ma Dong-seok’s activities do not stop at domestic theaters.Having entered Hollywood with Marvel Studios ‘’Eternals’, he recently formalized the production of his new film ‘Pig Village’.Although it is a Hollywood project that is conducted entirely in English, it is a work that mobilizes Korean capital and systems, and Ma Dong-seok took on the original plan, production, and lead role.

The film tells the story of a professional boxer and a group of criminals with different agendas who gather at a suspicious location in San Diego, on the border between the United States and Mexico.The cast includes Michael Rooker, who is famous for his role as Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as Coley Woodell, Lisette Olivera, and Ali Ann.


Reporter Seungmi smlee@donga.com

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