THE UGLY: TRAIN TO BUSAN Director’s Mystery Thriller Hitting Theaters This Fall

Ahead of its premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, Well Go USA has acquired North American rights to The Ugly, the upcoming feature from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho, and will release the mystery thriller in U.S. theaters from September 26.

Starring Park Jeong-min (Decision to Leave) and Kwon Hae-hyo (Peninsula), The Ugly follows Im Yeong-gyu (Kwon) who, despite being born blind, is a master artisan, hand-carving beautiful, engraved seals:

One day, his son Dong-hwan (Park) receives a call from the police, informing them that Young-hee, their wife and mother, who disappeared 40 years ago, has been found as skeletal remains. Upon hearing that the mother whose face he’s never known may have been murdered, Dong-hwan begins investigating her death with Su-jin, a producer who has been filming a documentary about Yeong-gyu. Through the memories of those who worked with his mother at a garment factory 40 years ago, Dong-hwan comes face-to-face with the long-hidden truth.

The script, written by Yeon, is based on 2018 graphic novel Face, which Yeon also wrote and illustrated. 

Doris Pfardrescher, President/CEO of Well Go USA, had this to say to the acquisition:

“THE UGLY is a gripping mystery thriller that explores the dark undercurrents of family and long-buried secrets. With riveting performances from Park and Kwon and a masterfully layered script from Yeon Sang-ho, the film is a powerful testament to the emotional and narrative depth of global cinema. We’re proud to bring THE UGLY to North American audiences this September,”

Yeon, also known for Peninsula, Parasyte: The Grey and Revelations, is also currently working on horror, Gunche, described as a culmination of his zombie projects that started with 2016's Train to Busan.

Look out for more on The Ugly as we get it, and for more, here's what we know about James Wan's planned Train to Busan remake.