‘The Assassins’ Gets an Official Gala Presentation Invite for the 51st Toronto International Film Festival

The film 〈The Assassins〉 has received an official invitation to the gala presentation section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, drawing attention even before its release. The film 〈The Assassins〉 has been officially invited to the gala presentation section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, which runs from Sept. 10 to 20. The Toronto International Film Festival is an international film festival regarded as one of the “Big Four” festivals worldwide, along with Cannes, Berlin, and Venice. The gala presentation section featuring 〈The Assassins〉 has been the representative main section in which domestic hot-button titles with both mass appeal and artistic merit—such as 〈No Choice but to Do It〉 (2025), 〈Harbin〉 (2024), 〈A Normal Family〉 (2024), 〈Concrete Utopia〉 (2023), 〈Smuggling〉 (2023), and 〈Hunt〉 (2022)—were invited, sparking strong buzz. As this is a screening event for audiences who visit the festival, along with special guests, global audiences’ attention is also focused this year. In particular, director Heo Jin-ho is achieving a standout feat as his film 〈The Assassins〉 becomes the third time he has been invited to the same section after 〈A Dangerous Relationship〉 (2012) and 〈A Normal Family〉 (2023), once again proving his outstanding directing ability to the global film world. Meanwhile, Cameron Bailey, executive director of the Toronto International Film Festival, who announced the news of the invitation for 〈The Assassins〉, said, “This is a dynamic story that takes on a shocking chapter in Korean history, brought to life with remarkable directing by director Heo Jin-ho, one of the filmmakers we love most. The performances by the cast led by Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho are also fantastic,” citing the reason.

〈The Assassins〉 is drawing expectations as a tense mystery investigation drama that adds cinematic imagination to the records and unanswered questions left behind in modern Korean history. Viewers can expect performances from leading South Korean actors, including Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho, delivering tightly wound acting and a strong pull. In addition, a well-made production team has come together, spearheaded by Hive Media Corp, the production company that has presented major historical incidents such as 〈Spring in Seoul〉 and 〈The General’s Mustache〉 through insightful storytelling. With top masters from home—such as cinematographer Im Go-gae, lighting director Lee Seong-hwan, art director Kim Byung-han, and VFX supervisor Jeong Jae-hoon—participating to raise the film’s completeness to its peak, interest inside and outside the film industry has been intense even before its release.

With its invite news from the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, 〈The Assassins〉 is expected to draw strong interest from global movie fans and bring it to South Korean audiences this Chuseok holiday.