Action film “The Roundup: Punishment,” which is the fourth installment in the “The Outlaws” (2017) franchise, has been invited to the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in the Special Gala category, distributor ABO Entertainment announced Tuesday.

“[The film is] the latest chapter of the successful Korean action series where Don Lee and his mighty fists play detective Ma Suk-do,” the film festival press office said, introducing the film on its official site on Monday.

Don Lee is the English name of actor Ma Dong-seok, who plays the main character, Ma Seok-do, inthe film.

The film is in the Special Gala category alongside other international films including “Love Lies Bleeding,” starring actor Kristen Stewart. Both films were introduced as stories revolving around “the concept of physical strength.”

“The Roundup: Punishment” is set to be released in the first half of this year.

The film, directed by director Heo Myeong-haeng, will follow Lee's character as he chases the nation’s most notorious illegal online gambling organization.

Actor Kim Moo-yul will play the newest villain for the fourth installment.

Other castmates include actors Lee Dong-hwi and Park Ji-hwan.

The previous three installments of the series saw major commercial success. “The Outlaws” attracted 6.88 million moviegoers, and its sequels, “The Roundup” (2022) and “The Roundup: No Way Out” (2023), garnered more than 10 million viewers, according to the Korean Film Council's integrated computer network for film tickets.

“The Roundup: No Way Out” was the first film to surpass 10 million milestone in 2023.

The 74th Berlin International Film Festival, or Berlinale, will kick off on Feb. 15 and run until Feb. 24.


BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]