On September 25, the press conference to launch the film "Mantis" was held in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul (Korea), with the participation of director Lee Tae Sung and the cast Im Si Wan, Park Gyu Young, Jo Woo Jin.
Set in the universe of the hit movie "Kill Boksoon", the adaptation of "Mantis" introduces a series of new murderers, promising to be a visual party with impressive action scenes.
"Mantis" revolves around seasoned assassin Han Wool (Im Si Wan), known by the nickname Mantis, who returns after a long absence and discovers that the top position in the assassination army is suddenly being contested.
Han Wool is caught up in a life-and-death competition with his colleagues Jae Yi (Park Gyu Young) and Dok Go (Jo Woo Jin).
The media emphasized that "Mantis" should not be confused with the SBS drama "Queen Mantis" currently airing.
"Mantis" also attracted attention when the two main actors Im Si Wan and Park Gyu Young previously appeared in the series "Squid Game" parts 2 and 3 of Netflix.
Im Si Wan revealed about the process of being cast for Mantis: When filming Kill Boksoon, the script mentioned the character Mantis. The director contacted me to ask if I could voice Mantis. Although I did not have the opportunity to make that offer in the end, fate arranged for me to participate in this film.
Regarding his character's commentary being different from the usual images of murderers on screen, Im Si Wan shared: "The murderer is often perfect and invincible, but in "Mantis" I think I will show a more humane side by combining the qualities of a newcomer to society.
Even as a contract assassin, he is still a social-loving character, that helps me express more diverse characteristics.
The actor further revealed that his character had to use a tongue with both hands, so Im Si Wan had to practice at an action training school to gain experience.
Meanwhile, Park Gyu Young's character uses a long sword as a weapon. The actress shared: The action director designed movements using long lines and scans to suit my weapons.
The sword is heavier than it looks and the edge of the sword is often shaken, so I practiced a lot at an action school."
Jo Woo Jin described his character as someone who can freely use any weapon, not just tonfa (conancus - a typical weapon of Okinawa people).
According to Im Si Wan, a 1:1:1 battle scene between the three characters in the film will be impressive and the audience can look forward to it.
This is not the usual fighting style seen in other films. This scene requires a grasp of the fierce emotional conflicts between us. The audience can wait to see if this scene goes as well as we expected, the actor said.
Mantis will be released on the online platform Netflix on September 26.
