Squid Game's Lee Jung-Jae set to make his directorial debut at Cannes Film Festival 2022

When it comes to places to debut your first directorial feature, Cannes Film Festival is not a bad spot. Squid Game breakout star Lee Jung-Jae’s debut film, Hunt, will premiere next month during one of the festival’s midnight screenings, which are reserved for thriller and genre-adjacent features.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the ‘80s-set Korean-language film “tells the story of two special agents in Korea’s National Intelligence Service who are independently tasked with the same mission: to find a North Korean mole within the agency. During the course of their investigations, the pair come face to face with an unbearable truth, but must complete their own missions at all costs.”

Lee worked on Hunt as the director, producer, and co-writer, and he co-stars in the film alongside fellow Korean actor Jung Woo-Sung (Steel Rain, Reign of Assassins). Lee’s career dates back to the mid-90s, but he gained a whole new level of fame and notoriety after starring in Hwang Dong-Hyuk’s Netflix super-hit Squid Game.

In the series, Lee stars as a down-on-his-luck father, who participates in the deadly games to make some cash. For his performance, he won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Drama series as well as the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series, and the Critics Choice Award for Best Actor in an Action Series.

With a second season of Squid Game on the way, Lee is set to return as the series’ lead. He is also booked as the lead in Choi Dong-Hoon’s corporate crime thriller Wiretap.

Cannes Film Festival, which takes place May 17-28, will also feature the work of Park Chan-Wook, David Cronenberg, George Miller, Claire Denis, Kelly Reichardt’s, Ethan Coen, and more.