Yoo Ah-in to return to big screen with 'Vampir' after drug conviction

Actor Yoo Ah-in, whose career was put on hold after his conviction for habitual drug use, will star in the film “Vampir,” according to film distributor NEW on Tuesday.

Director Jang Jae-hyun’s upcoming film “Vampir” has finalized casting for its principal roles and will begin filming this month. The movie is scheduled for theatrical release in 2028. 

“Vampir” is a mystery-occult film about an unidentified contract killer, whom a clergyman hires to track down a mysterious pagan group. Yoo will play the contract killer pursuing the group.

The film is the latest project from Jang, the director behind “Exhuma” (2024), “Svaha: The Sixth Finger” (2019) and “The Priests” (2015).

Jang and actors Yoo, Lee Sung-min, Lee Jun-hyuk, Doi of the girl group H//PE Princess, Yoon Kyung-ho and Choi Hyun-wook recently attended a script reading.

The film will be Yoo’s first movie filmed since being convicted of habitual drug use involving propofol and marijuana. Although “The Match” (2025) and “Hi-Five” (2025) were released after the case, both had completed filming before he was sentenced.

The actor was referred to court on charges of administering propofol and other medical narcotics 181 times between 2020 and 2022. He was also accused of illegally obtaining prescriptions for more than 1,100 sleeping pills under other people’s names on 44 occasions between 2021 and 2022.

In July last year, the Supreme Court sentenced Yoo to one year in prison, suspended for two years.

BY KIM EUN-BIN [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]