Netflix is set to release "Mantis," a thrilling spin-off that expands the universe established in the 2023 action hit "Kill Boksoon." This new film shifts focus to a younger generation of contract killers navigating the chaos left behind after the events of the original movie. The film explores what happens when the established order of the assassination world crumbles, forcing new players to fight for dominance.
Director Lee Tae-sung explained the connection between the two films during a press conference held at a Seoul theater on Thursday. "It's a spin-off of 'Kill Boksoon,' a story about Mantis, who was mentioned about twice in 'Kill Boksoon' as being on vacation," Lee said. "Because of Gil Bok-soon (Jeon Do-yeon), M.K. ENT (a killer organization) is in chaos. If Gil Bok-soon and Cha Min-kyu (Sul Kyung-gu) were the top figures of their generation, this film describes stories of younger generation killers."
The action-packed storyline centers on a three-way battle for supremacy in the contract killing industry. The main characters include Han-ul (Yim Si-wan), an A-list assassin known by the codename Mantis who returns from vacation to find his world turned upside down. He faces competition from Jae-yi (Park Gyu-young), described as both his trainee and contemporary rival, and Dok-go (Jo Woo-jin), a retired killer who becomes involved in the power struggle.
Lee collaborated on the screenplay with Byun Sung-hyun, who directed the original "Kill Boksoon." The director emphasized their careful approach to expanding the universe. "Director Byun Sung-hyun and I had never worked on a screenplay together, so we were cautious. We took plenty of time to understand each other's thoughts and wanted to see what young, recognized professional killers would do when the successful company they were working for disappeared," Lee explained.
Each character in "Mantis" brings unique fighting styles and weapons to create distinctive action sequences. Yim Si-wan's character Han-ul specializes in dual sickle combat, which inspired his nickname. "Han-ul fights with sickles in both hands. I believe he was named Mantis because of that visual appearance," Yim said. The actor dedicated significant time to mastering this unusual weapon choice. "Since I had no experience using dual sickles as a weapon, I spent a lot of time at action school getting used to handling the weapons."
Park Gyu-young and Jo Woo-jin also underwent intensive action training to master their characters' signature weapons. Park's character Jae-yi wields a long sword, requiring specific choreography to showcase the weapon's capabilities. "Jae-yi's weapon is the long sword. The action directors designed the movements to use long, sweeping lines," Park explained. "The long sword is heavier than it looks and the tip tends to shake, so I practiced a lot at action school."
Jo Woo-jin's character Dok-go represents the veteran presence in the film, using tonfa as his primary weapon while maintaining the versatility expected of a master assassin. "Dok-go handles tonfa. He is a master, a legend and a mentor, so I figured he could weaponize any tool near him," Jo said. He added that the weapon choice was intentionally distinctive: "I thought it would be interesting to see action sequences with a weapon that looks like it could appear in a video game."
"Mantis" will premiere on Netflix this Friday, offering viewers a chance to dive deeper into the world established by "Kill Boksoon" while introducing fresh characters and storylines that explore the consequences of upheaval in the professional killing industry.
