Song Kang-ho X 'Handsome Guys' Nam Dong-hyup Meets! Confirmed to Appear in 'Gardeners'

Through the movie 〈Handsome Guys〉, director Nam Dong-hyup, who has shown his potential as a next-generation director leading the Korean film industry, has confirmed his participation in the new work 〈Gardeners〉 (tentative title). 〈Gardeners〉 (tentative title) tells the story of a civil servant whose only hobby is growing plants, who suddenly gets into a huge debt and teams up with the neighborhood troublemaker to embark on a special gardening business, leading the quiet town into unimaginable chaos. In the film, Song Kang-ho plays the role of 'Choi Young-il', an ordinary and diligent civil servant who finds happiness and fulfillment in his life as a plant caretaker.

Song Kang-ho is an actor with four films that have attracted over ten million viewers, solidifying his international influence by winning the Best Actor award at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, the first for South Korea. In particular, his leading role in 〈Parasite〉 left a remarkable presence among global film fans. In this work, he is expected to deliver an overwhelming performance with his irreplaceable character portrayal.

Additionally, last year, director Nam Dong-hyup, who captivated both the public and critics with his unique and extraordinary direction in the hybrid genre of occult and comedy through 〈Handsome Guys〉, will direct this project, raising expectations. With 〈Handsome Guys〉, he received the Best New Director award at the 23rd Directors' Cut Awards, was selected in the top ten by the 44th Korean Film Critics Association, won the Audience Award at the 57th Sitges Film Festival Panorama Fantastic, and received the Jury Award at the 23rd Florence Korean Film Festival, proving his talent at both domestic and international film festivals. In this work, he is also expected to fully showcase his strengths as a next-generation director of South Korea.

Meanwhile, 〈Gardeners〉 (tentative title) is produced by Hive Media Corp, which has presented various genres of films that combine both artistic quality and box office success, including 〈Handsome Guys〉, 〈Spring in Seoul〉, 〈Harbin〉, 〈Opposition〉, 〈Save Me from Evil〉, 〈The Chief of Namsan〉, and 〈The Inside Men〉. The meeting of South Korea's representative actor and the next-generation director adds to the anticipation for 〈Gardeners〉 (tentative title), which is in pre-production aiming for a crank-in in 2026.