‘The Taoist Wizard:’ Korea’s new superhero

Coming this December to Korean cinemas is THE TAOIST WIZARD, Korea’s answer to the superhero genre. It’s an action comedy starring Kang Dong-won (DUELIST) as Jeon Woo-chi, a 16th-century Taoist wizard who is released from wrongful imprisonment inside an ancient scroll after 400 years to battle evil goblins in modern-day Seoul. The only problem is that Jeon is more interested in sightseeing and womanizing than fighting the supernatural forces that threaten the modern world.

This upscale digital effects actioner is directed by Choi Dong-hun (THE BIG SWINDLE) and features prominent co-stars Kim Yoon-suk, Lim Su-jeong (I’M A CYBORG, BUT THAT’S OK) and Baek Yun-shik (ART OF FIGHTING).

Based on a five-minute promo shown at the American Film Market, THE TAOIST WIZARD was recently picked up for distribution in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Germany, and Benelux.

The premise of the film should be familiar to Asian cinema buffs. Ryoo Seung-wan’s ARAHAN had a similar theme of wuxia-styled martial arts warriors battling in modern-day Korea. In classic Hong Kong fantasy actioners the PEACOCK KING and THE ICEMAN COMETH, Yuen Biao portrayed a devil-hunting Buddhist priest and time-traveling warrior from the Ming Dynasty respectively, both battling supernatural evil in a contemporary urban setting. The idea of a mischievous, anti-heroic warrior trapped for hundreds of years is also reminiscent of the tale of the Monkey King as told in the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West” and referenced in the Hollywood fantasy actioner THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, as well as Stephen Chow’s two-part, fantasy-comedy masterpiece A CHINESE ODYSSEY.

THE TAOIST WIZARD opens in Korea on December 23.

Sources: HanCinema, Variety