The film Assassination has been officially invited to the Gala Presentations section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), igniting major buzz ahead of its release.
On the 7th (local time), TIFF announced that director Hur Jin-ho’s new film Assassination has secured a spot in this year’s Gala Presentations lineup. This marks Hur’s third invite to the same section, following Dangerous Liaisons in 2012 and A Normal Family in 2023.
Gala Presentations has spotlighted high-profile, critically acclaimed Korean titles in recent years — including No Other Choice (2025), Harbin (2024), Concrete Utopia (2023), and Hunt (2022) — raising global expectations for this year’s selection.
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said, "Assassination is a propulsive story about a shocking chapter in Korean history, crafted with masterful direction by one of our most beloved filmmakers, Hur Jin-ho. The performances led by Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho are also phenomenal," expressing high anticipation.
Set against the aftermath of the August 15, 1974 shooting of South Korea’s First Lady, Assassination is a relentless mystery-thriller that tracks the suspicions and possible masterminds behind the case, blending rigorous research with cinematic imagination. Yoo Hae-jin plays Detective Cheol-gu, Park Hae-il is Jae-hwan, the city desk chief at a newspaper, and Lee Min-ho portrays Young-il, a rookie reporter who covered the scene.
The film will premiere at TIFF, which opens on September 10, before meeting domestic audiences during the Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) season.