K-Pop Setting Psychological Thriller “Perfect Girl” Casts Adeline Rudolph and Aden Cho; Film to Debut at Berlin Film Festival

Adeline Rudolph, who starred in “Mortal Kombat 2,” has been cast alongside Aden Cho of “Partner Track” as lead actors in the K-Pop themed psychological thriller “Perfect Girl.” The film will be directed by Hong Won-ki (“Gotham” and “Zombie Hunter,” horror anthologies) and produced by Badlands, a new genre label founded by Batdance producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee alongside former Sony executive Scott Strauss. “Perfect Girl” (formerly titled “Unni”) is based on a script written by Lynn Q. Yu, which was selected as a Blacklist script in 2023, and is described as blending the styles of “Scream” and “Black Swan.” The story follows female trainees competing for four spots in a newly formed K-Pop supergroup. After years of training, a mysterious talented girl is added at the last moment, intensifying the competition. Tension builds as the girls begin to be hunted and attacked one after another. Upgrade will introduce the project to international buyers at the European Film Market (EFM), while CAA Media Finance will handle domestic distribution in the United States. Director Hong Won-ki is a co-founder of Janive Bros., a music video production company famous for creating videos for major K-Pop stars such as BTS, GFRIEND, and MAMAMOO. His works include the “Urban Miss” horror anthology series and Netflix’s “Gotham,” both of which feature current and former K-Pop idols. Hong Kong-born Korean-American actress Rudolph has appeared in Netflix’s “Savana’s Spooky Adventures” and “Resident Evil,” as well as CW’s “Riverdale,” and is set to appear as Kitana in the new Line film “Mortal Kombat 2,” which opens on October 24. Korean-American actor Aden Cho gained attention through MTV’s “Teen Wolf” and most recently starred in Netflix’s “Partner Track,” currently appearing as Jun in Netflix’s live-action “Avatar: The Legend of Aang.” K-Pop hitmakers Sunshine and Moonshine, known for their music created for groups like BTS, REDVELVET, TWICE, and aespa, will compose the original soundtrack for “Perfect Girl.” Meanwhile, filming for the action film starring martial arts legend Jackie Chan, titled “Shadow’s Edge,” has been completed. Directed by Larry Yang, this is the second collaboration between the two, following their successful partnership on “Ride On” in 2023, which dominated Asian box offices and became the highest-grossing Chinese-imported film in Japan as well as one of the top three Chinese films in Malaysia. “Shadow’s Edge” is a gosok genre film set in Macau, featuring Chan in the role of a retired veteran surveillance expert who is called back into active duty by the police to lead a team of rookie detectives and track down a thief gang operating outside the law. The film depicts a cat-and-mouse chase centered on the tension between traditional surveillance methods and cutting-edge technology. The cast includes breakout star Zhang Zifeng from the “Unni” and “Volunteer Team” franchises, newcomer Xi Sha, and Jun (Moon Jun-hwi) from K-Pop supergroup SEVENTEEN, who makes his acting debut in this film. It also marks a 18-year reunion between Tony Leung Ka-fai, a five-time Hong Kong Film Award winner, and Jackie Chan since “The Miss” in 2005. Tony Leung is currently set to appear in the upcoming project “Legend of the Condor Heroes” by Stephen Chow and Tsui Hark. Victoria Hon serves as producer for this project again after working on “Ride On,” with support from Aichi Pictures, Tao Tickets, Hairun Pictures, and China Chenxiang in production. Golden Network Asia, which handled global sales for Chan’s “Ride On,” “Vanguard,” “Kung Fu Yoga,” “Railroad Tigers,” and “Dragon Blade,” will present “Shadow’s Edge” to international buyers at the European Film Market.