Korean actress Hoyeon, widely recognized for her breakout role as Kang Sae-byeok in the globally acclaimed Netflix series Squid Game, is set to star in the upcoming psychological thriller The Hole. The film, which also stars Theo James in the lead role, is directed by the renowned Kim Jee-woon and based on the 2017 Shirley Jackson Award-winning novel by Hye-young Pyun.
In The Hole, James plays Owen, a successful professor who becomes bedridden following a devastating car accident that takes the life of his wife, Sandy, portrayed by Hoyeon. Owen’s road to recovery is complicated by the arrival of Yuna, his Korean mother-in-law, who becomes his caregiver. As Yuna starts to dig deeper into the mystery surrounding Owen and Sandy’s marriage, dark secrets emerge, threatening Owen’s recovery and forcing him to confront his past.
The film will be shot in both the US and South Korea, with dialogue in English and Korean, enhancing its international appeal. The Hole is being produced by Sam Esmail, Chad Hamilton, and Nick Krishnamurthy of Esmail Corp, along with Kimberly Steward and Alex Foster of K Period Media. The production also sees Andy Sorgie, in collaboration with Jay Choi and Kim Jee-woon, working with Soon Ho Song as co-producer for Anthology Studios.
After her success in Squid Game, Hoyeon has continued to expand her filmography, starring in Alfonso Cuarón’s psychological thriller Disclaimer. In addition to The Hole, she is also set to appear in Hope, directed by Na Hong-jin, alongside Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender. This marks another major step in Hoyeon’s burgeoning career in both Korean and international cinema.
