[Photos] 'Tazza 4' star Byun Yo-han says he went "all in, ready to die" as rapper Swings sheds 10 kilograms for menacing role

South Korea's signature crime-entertainment film franchise 'Tazza', which has drawn a cumulative 13 million moviegoers since its debut in 2006, is coming to an end. The final installment, 'Tazza: Song of Belzebub' (hereafter 'Tazza 4'), arrives in theaters on Aug. 23, ahead of the Chuseok holiday, and has already drawn attention across the film industry as star 'Byun Yo-han' brings fierce determination to the role and rapper Swings ('Moon Ji-hoon') makes a striking screen debut.

A wholly separate universe raises the stakes with Texas hold 'em

The new film is based on manhwa artist Huh Young-man's work of the same name, but boldly breaks from the existing narrative that connected the first three installments. Set in a fully independent universe, it follows online casino operator Jang Tae-young ('Byun Yo-han') as he loses everything to his closest friend, Park Tae-young ('Roh Jae-won'), and pursues a desperate revenge. At a production presentation held Aug. 18 at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul, 'Byun Yo-han' said the film offers "a story that allows even viewers who have not seen the previous films to become fully immersed" and that it "delves deeply into desire and betrayal within the human psyche."

This time, the game at the center of the action is 'hold 'em', played with standard playing cards rather than Korean hwatu cards. The subtitle draws on the historical fact that religious authorities in medieval Europe gave the name 'Beelzebub' to the two of spades. 'Byun Yo-han' reportedly trained directly with professional players to develop psychological skills on par with those of a professional gambler.

"I took it on ready to die" — two men's chilling jealousy and madness

'Roh Jae-won', who made his mark worldwide through Netflix's 'Squid Game' series, landed his first lead role in a commercial film as Park Tae-young, a man consumed by deep inferiority toward Jang Tae-young. "It was such an overwhelming story that, after reading the script, I couldn't shake it for two months," he said, describing the film's weight. 'Byun Yo-han', who will bring the series to its conclusion, also expressed strong confidence. "There was pressure, but there was no reason to avoid it. Every actor went all in and completed it ready to die," he said.

Rapper Swings loses 10 kilograms and transforms into a killer for commercial-film debut

The most attention-grabbing addition is rapper Swings, better known as actor 'Moon Ji-hoon'. He lost more than 10 kilograms in an intense commitment to the role of Abraham, a ruthless contract killer. Director 'Choi Kook-hee' revealed the story behind the casting: "We were looking for a striking, unfamiliar face when, on 'Byun Yo-han''s recommendation, I saw 'Moon Ji-hoon''s video and immediately became convinced."

Global-scale cast sets sights on Chuseok box office

Leading actors including Cho Woo-jin, Yoon Kyung-ho, Kim Min-ho and Lim Se-mi have joined the cast, raising the film's overall quality. The production has also assembled an international lineup featuring Vietnam's beloved actor Hong Dao and Japan's Tsuyoshi Ihara, signaling a scale that surpasses the previous films. 'Tazza 4' has set its theatrical release for Aug. 23 and is ready to prove once again the enduring box-office formula: “Chuseok means Tazza.”