South Korean actor Yoo Ah In is preparing to return to the entertainment industry with a new film, tentatively titled Vampir. The project marks his first major acting role since his drug-related legal troubles put his career on hold. He will star in the upcoming occult mystery thriller, which is being directed by Jang Jae Hyun, best known for helming the hit film Exhuma. Yoo Ah-In’s casting was confirmed on Tuesday by local distributor NEW (Next Entertainment World).

According to The Korea Herald, Vampir follows an unnamed contract killer who is hired by a pastor to investigate pagan sects. Yoo Ah-In plays the assassin, a composed and fearless man who remains calm even in high-pressure situations. However, his perspective starts to shift as he becomes deeply involved in the mysterious case.

Yoo Ah-In’s career came to a standstill in 2023 after he was accused of repeatedly using propofol, marijuana and other controlled substances. Investigators found that he had received propofol illegally at Seoul hospitals on 181 occasions between 2020 and 2022, reportedly under the guise of undergoing cosmetic procedures. He was also accused of abusing three other medical anaesthetics, including midazolam and ketamine.

In February 2025, he was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, and fined 2 million won. The Supreme Court later upheld the ruling, leaving him under probation until July 2027. An appeals court had previously reduced his punishment, saying the original sentence was excessive in light of the circumstances surrounding the offense and its aftermath.

The drug scandal affected Yoo Ah-In’s career, prompting him to step away from acting. He was replaced in Netflix’s Hellbound Season 2, while films including The Match and Hi-Five faced delays.

The film also features Lee Sung Min, Lee Jun Hyuk, Doy, Yoon Kyung Ho, and Choi Hyun Wook. Vampir marks Jang Jae Hyun’s next major project after Exhuma, which emerged as one of South Korea’s biggest box-office hits in 2024.

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The film marks director Cal Brunker’s third outing with the PAW Patrol franchise and expands its world with a host of new prehistoric characters. After their ship is caught in a mysterious storm, the pups crash-land on the island and meet Rex, a pup who has spent years there and become an expert in all things dinosaur-related. Things take a dangerous turn when the pups’ old rival, Mayor Humdinger, begins mining the island for its natural resources, inadvertently triggering a dormant volcano and putting the entire island at risk.

At the heart of the film’s new world are the dinosaurs, and Brunker says creating them was as much about authenticity as it was about making them fit naturally into the animated universe.

“It was important to me that we kept them majestic,” notes Brunker. “We wanted to capture the sense of wonder you get when you see dinosaurs and hopefully inspire a whole new generation of dinosaur fans.”

One of the film’s new additions is Rhubarb, a hatchling T-Rex who quickly becomes Marshall’s best friend. The character was designed to bring a different kind of charm to the film, with Brunker taking inspiration from the very pups at the centre of the franchise.

Behind the colourful world and high-stakes rescues, however, lies an animation process that takes years and involves hundreds of artists. Brunker says the scale of making an animated film remains both demanding and rewarding.

“Making an animated movie is a ton of fun, but it’s also a ton of work that takes hundreds of artists many years,” he reflects. “We start with the script, then we move into the storyboard with hundreds and hundreds of little sketches that plan the shots and action. Then we record with the actors, and give those performances to the animators who bring the characters to life, before creating all these beautiful environments with gorgeous lighting, special effects, and sound effects. All of this becomes the movie you see on screen.”

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After the blockbuster success of Waltair Veerayya (2023), Megastar Chiranjeevi and director Bobby Kolli are reuniting for another action entertainer, currently referred to as Mega158. Mounted on a lavish scale, the much-awaited collaboration is progressing at a brisk pace, with the makers already making significant headway on both the shoot and edit.

Interval sequence emerges as a major attraction

According to reports from the production team, Mega158 has completed 40 days of shooting since production began in June. The makers have credited Chiranjeevi’s complete cooperation and his willingness to extend his working hours for the rapid progress.

The first half of the film has already been locked, and the footage shot so far has reportedly given the team confidence about the film’s overall narrative. Sources close to the production describe the story as a blend of intensity, emotion and high-octane action. The interval fight sequence, which was recently filmed, is said to be one of the film’s major highlights.

Chiranjeevi-Bobby film targets 2027 Sankranti

With filming moving ahead smoothly and the first-half edit in place, the makers are reportedly eyeing a 2027 Sankranti release for Mega158. The festive season has traditionally been significant for Chiranjeevi releases, and the team is said to be keen to recreate that box-office magic with their latest collaboration.

Birthday surprise in store for Chiranjeevi

Meanwhile, all eyes are on August 22, when Chiranjeevi celebrates his birthday. The makers are reportedly planning a major update to mark the occasion, with speculation suggesting that the film’s title and Chiranjeevi’s first look could be unveiled.

Curiosity around the project has already intensified after Chiranjeevi inadvertently dropped what fans interpreted as a clue to the title, Kadiri or Kadiri Kakaji. The casting has also added to the anticipation, with Anaswara Rajan and Nivetha Pethuraj playing pivotal roles.

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