The latest installment of actor Ma Dong-seok’s hit film series, “The Roundup,” is finally scheduled to premiere in local theaters on April 24, carrying with it considerable anticipation to continue the franchise’s success.Titled “The Roundup: Punishment,” the comedy action follows bulky detective Ma Seok-do (Ma, also known as Don Lee) and his team investigating an illegal gambling cartel. While investigating a drug-trafficking app, the team discovers a connection between the program’s developer and an illegal gambling operation in the Philippines, led by ex-special forces agent Baek Chang-gi (Kim Moo-yul).Ma and the team join hands with a cybercrime squad to track down Baek and his partner and the cartel’s mastermind, IT genius Chang Dong-cheol (Lee Dong-hwi).“Seok-do is a former boxer so we created (action sequences) based on that. In the third series, he fights in real-life boxing style, while keeping it satisfying. (This movie) combines the slugger style boxing from the first two installments and inside and outside styles of boxing from the third one,” Ma said during the press conference for the upcoming film at Megabox COEX in Gangnam District, Seoul, Monday.“Given the strong tone of this installment’s story, our approach aimed to capture a heavier and more solemn mood rather than opting for a lighthearted tone. We minimized the use of minor techniques and instead focused predominantly on delivering impactful punches in a more forceful and powerful boxing style.”
The fourth installment is helmed by director Heo Myeong-haeng, making a transition from his previous role as stunt coordinator for the three preceding films.Heo shared that he drew upon his previous experience with the franchise to distinguish the latest installment from its predecessors.“Because I was the stunt coordinator in the previous series, I knew what parts the audience weren’t fully satisfied with or what they wanted to see in the story,” he said.“In this installment, I enhanced the teamwork within the detective squad and intensified the actions of the villain. I aimed for Ma’s struggle to apprehend the villain to be depicted in a notably different manner compared to the previous installments.”Baek demonstrates a swift and precise mercenary style of action, predominantly utilizing knives. The director emphasized that the specially trained villain will heighten the excitement of the film’s action sequences.“I focused on developing Baek Chang-gi’s character and action. While he retains the mindset and greed for self-fulfillment typical of previous villains, I felt that portraying him solely as a character driven by evil instincts would lack depth. Therefore, I transformed him into a highly-skilled special agent, adding complexity to his character,” he said.“With this as a basis, I 슬롯게이밍 believe we can build anticipation for the one-on-one fight scene between him and Ma Seok-do.”