JEON stated that ”with The Painter I want to create a different type of mise-en-scene within the frame of genre – a unique and highly stylized film with the vision I have become known for.” The project will star YOO Joon-sang, who is known for his performance in HONG Sangsoo’s films such as Hahaha (2009), The Day He Arrives (2011) and In Another Country (2012), as a painter with supernatural characteristics. In his spare time, the artist kills criminals and takes their organs as a form of retribution. One day he crosses paths with a woman working in a hostess club and after learning of her sister in Estonia, he travels to Eastern Europe with his sights set on the sex trade. The film is set to feature Estonian thespian Tambet Tuisk, who has previously worked on I Was Here (2008) and The Poll Diaries (2010), and will co-star an Estonian actress whose identity has yet to be revealed.