Kim Nam-gil and Park Bo-gum Face Off in ‘Canvas of Blood’

Kim Nam-gil and Park Bo-gum team up for Canvas of Blood, a period film about intense sibling rivalries within the royal household of Joseon.

Directed by Jang Hoon—best known for his films including Rough Cut (2008) and A Taxi Driver (2017)—Canvas of Blood is currently in production, according to Korean media.

The film delves into the complexities of royal politics, where the sons of King Sejong the Great, Prince Suyang (Kim Nam-gil) and Prince Anpyeong (Park Bo-gum), are on opposite sides of a dangerous power struggle. It’s based on the true story of the Gyeyujeongnan coup, also known as the Coup of 1453, planned by Prince Suyang to secure his position on the throne after King Sejong died.

The seeds of their rivalry were sown with the brushstrokes of a dream – literally. Anpyeong’s dream of visiting an idyllic land of peach blossoms resulted in one of Joseon’s most famous paintings, Dream Journey to the Peach Blossom Land, painted by An Gyeon (Lee Hyun-wook) in 1447, which forever changed Anpyeong’s relationship with his brother.

As someone who’s highly appreciative of fine art, Anpyeong gets captivated by the painting’s brilliance. But Suyang, despite having no problem with the artwork, sees it as something solidifying his brother’s growing popularity and cultural influence and, most importantly, as a personal attack on his succession—his own claim to fame.

The painting’s significance lies not only in its beauty but also in its reflection of an ideal world that’s far removed from the royal court’s nasty politics. And as tension rises between the brothers, the painting catalyzes their conflicting ambitions.

The movie title “Canvas of Blood” pretty much says it all—that you’re entering a world where power struggles can get awful. The canvas, stained with the blood of betrayal, is a metaphor for the toxic dynamic between Suyang and Anpyeong. At a glance, Suyang’s ruthless ambition and Anpyeong’s love of beauty seem to be at odds, but they’re actually two sides of the same twisted coin, united in their rivalry.

Canvas of Blood is historically very significant because it brings to life a pivotal moment in Korean history. By centering the story around the coup of 1453, the movie pulls back the curtain on the harsh realities of politics in the Joseon era, where power struggles could rip families apart.

Previously titled Dream Journey to the Peach Blossom Land, the film is one of the nine titles to receive financial backing from the Korean Film Council’s “Mid-Budget Korean Film Production Support” project, according to YTN.

The movie’s release date is yet to be announced.