Yoo Ah-in to star in Jang Jae-hyun's 'Vampire' alongside Lee Sung-min and Yoon Kyung-ho

Yoo Ah-in is joining director Jang Jae-hyun's new film Vampire (working title: Baempiru), cast as a vampire hunter. Lee Sung-min plays a priest, and Yoon Kyung-ho rounds out the confirmed leads.

Jang previously directed The Priests, Svaha, and Exhumation—the last crossed 10 million admissions. Vampire grafts a Korean original story onto the vampire genre. The cast is expected to include around five Korean principal characters and Russian actors. Two roles remain open: a young actress referred to as "the princess" and a bodyguard part described as a high-impact special appearance.

Pre-production is underway, with casting, investment, and distribution being finalized in sequence. Principal photography is targeted to start as early as October 2026.

This casting confirms Yoo Ah-in's return after a three-year absence. He suspended activities in 2023 following drug allegations—habitual use of medical propofol from September 2020 to March 2022, cannabis use in the United States, and encouraging others to smoke. The Supreme Court confirmed a sentence of one year imprisonment with a two-year suspended execution and a 2 million won fine in July last year.

On the agency side, UAA confirmed on June 30 that Yoo Ah-in's contract with the agency, which he had been with since 2014, has ended. He is moving to Galaxy Corporation, home to G-Dragon, Taemin, and Kim Jong-kook. Galaxy is reported to have proposed an exclusive contract worth at least 5 billion won. He is also re-enlisting a manager who previously worked with him.

(When Vampire casting rumors first surfaced late last year, both UAA and Jang Jae-hyun publicly denied them. Jang said a casual phone call checking on Yoo Ah-in had been misread as a casting confirmation.)