[Official] Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Minho's "Assassins" Heads to TIFF... Invited to Gala Presentations

[Sportschosun reporter Jiyoung Cho] The mystery chase film "Assassins" (directed by Hur Jin-ho, produced by Hive Media Corp.) is set to take center stage at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

"Assassins" has been officially invited to the Gala Presentations section of the 51st TIFF, which will be held from September 10 to 20, drawing attention even before its release.

TIFF is one of the world's four major film festivals, alongside Cannes, Berlin, and Venice. The Gala Presentations section, where "Assassins" has been selected, is one of the festival's flagship sections. It has previously invited major Korean titles that combined popular appeal with artistic merit, including Park Chan-wook's 2025 release "No Other Choice," Woo Min-ho's 2024 film "Harbin," Hur Jin-ho's 2024 film "A Normal Family," Um Tae-hwa's 2023 film "Concrete Utopia," Ryoo Seung-wan's 2023 film "Smugglers," and Lee Jung-jae's 2022 film "Hunt." As a screening series that brings special guests together with festival audiences, it is drawing global attention once again this year.

In particular, Hur Jin-ho has now been invited to the same section for the third time, following "Dangerous Liaisons" in 2012 and "A Normal Family" in 2023. With "Assassins," he has once again proven his outstanding directing skills to the global film industry.

Cameron Bailey, executive director of TIFF, explained the selection of "Assassins" by saying, "It is a dynamic story about a shocking chapter in Korean history, told with exceptional direction by Hur Jin-ho, one of our most beloved filmmakers. The performances from the cast led by Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Minho are also fantastic."

"Assassins" is a tense mystery chase drama that blends cinematic imagination with the remaining records and unanswered questions of modern Korean history. Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Minho are expected to deliver layered performances and powerful screen presence. The film also brings together a top-tier production team led by Hive Media Corp., which has delivered insightful stories about major historical events through works such as "Seoul Spring" and "The Man Standing Next." Cinematographer Lee Mo-gae, lighting director Lee Seong Hwan, art director Kim Byung-han, and VFX supervisor Jung Jae-hoon are among the leading masters who joined the project, raising its overall quality to the highest level. As a result, the film is drawing intense attention from both inside and outside the industry even before its release.

Based on the assassination of First Lady Yuk Young-soo, who was shot and killed during the 29th National Liberation Day ceremony held at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul on August 15, 1974, while President Park Chung Hee was delivering his congratulatory address, "Assassins" follows the mystery and the forces behind an event that shocked South Korea. The film stars Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Minho, and is directed by Hur Jin-ho, known for "Christmas in August," "One Fine Spring Day," and "Princess Deokhye." It is scheduled for release during the Chuseok holiday this year.

Jiyoung Cho, soulhn1220@sportschosun.com