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Dark Nunsis a South Korean horror-thriller film that has sparked excitement from viewers all across the world following the release of its chilling teaser in December. The film serves as a spin-off to the 2015 blockbusterThe Priests, which itself was adapted from the award-winning short film12th Assistant Deacon.
Directed by Kwon Hyeok-jae, the film features a stellar cast with Song Hye-kyo and Jeon Yeo-been in the lead roles.
The supernatural thriller film stands out with its theme of nuns taking over an exorcism. Traditionally, the exorcism rituals are prohibited for nuns, however, the desperate state of a boy forces the leads in this film to take matters into their own hands.
Dark Nunsrelease date: When will the horror thriller hit theaters?
The occult thriller from South Korea,Dark Nuns, is already gaining fans for being the sequel to the hit 2015 filmThe Priests. The film, directed by Kwon Hyeok-jae ofTroubleshooterandCountfame, began production in the first half of 2024. According to the Korean websiteNaver, the filming went on from February 22 to May 25.
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The film is finally set to hit the local theaters on June 28, 2025, distributed by Next Entertainment World in South Korea. There is no confirmation as to its release date in the U.S. But considering the popularity of such supernatural thrillers in the market,Dark Nunswill probably make its debut in American theaters as well.
Dark Nunsis a sequel toThe Priests, which according toThe Korea Times, drew 5.4 million viewers and was a major theatrical success. The predecessor film was the first feature-length film of Jang Jae-hyun and it paved the way for the exorcism genre in Korean cinema. It was the appeal of the genre that prompted Zip Cinema, the producers, to greenlight a sequel film.
Dark Nunscast: Who are the actors in the film?
Dark Nunsfollows the format ofThe Priestsand casts two popular actresses in the roles of Sister Junia and Sister Michaela, who try to save a young boy. Song Hye-kyo plays the role of Junia and is particularly known for her role in the Netflix seriesThe Glory, where she played a victim of school violence. Fans hope that she carry her performing skills fromThe GlorytoDark Nuns.
Sister Mikaela is payed by Jeon Yeo-been. Song called her co-star Jeon her“savior”, adding that their ensemble did wonders for the film. She shared during the press conference for the film,“Yeo-been was my savior. Without Mikaela, Yunia couldn’t have done anything alone”(viaThe Korea Times).
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Jeon too only had high praise for her co-star, sharing that she admired Song for her long career in the industry. Jeon shared about her co-star,“Song was like a warm light on the movie set. She embraced everyone with her strong and quiet charisma.”
Moon Woo-jin plays the young boy Hee-joon, who is possessed by the evil spirit in the film. Lee Jin-wook, who recently appeared on Netflix’sSquid Game, appears as a priest in the film. He plays Father Paolo, who believes that Hee-joon can be cured medically instead of conducting an exorcism ritual.
Speaking to The Korea Times, the actor shared that he dreamed of becoming a priest one day when he was young. It made it easy for him to put on the robe and easily transition into a priest for the role. He shared:
I felt comfortable when I put on the priest’s robe (for filming). I once dreamed of becoming a priest when I was young. As I grew up, I realized how challenging it was and found myself (straying) away from that dream. Wearing this robe makes me want to listen to others.
Actor Huh Joon-ho ofSilmidofame also has a priest role in the film. He plays the role of Father Andrea, who performs the ritual to save the young boy. Here’s a list of all confirmed cast:
While Song and Jeon joined the cast in November last year, the final five were confirmed only on July 23, 2025, after Moon Woo-jin joined the cast.
Dark Nunsplot: Kwon Hyeok-jae’s story has a new perspective different fromThe Priests
Kwon Hyeok-jae’s story forDark Nunsbrings a new twist to the exorcism genre by putting two nuns in the lead. The exorcism is typically reserved for priests and nuns are forbidden from participating in such rituals. Director Kwon shared during a press conference that the film’s refreshing aspect is the involvement of these two nuns in the prohibited rituals. He shared (via The Korea Times):
The movie explores the journey of those who are not chosen or permitted, and they try to overcome difficulties, which I think is an interesting point.
In the film, Sister Junia and Sister Michaela are confronted with Hee-joon, a young boy possessed by a powerful evil spirit. Sister Junia is hell-bent on saving the boy as she is driven by her faith and compassion to do so. However, Sister Michaela is more of a skeptic but is eventually drawn into the investigation with Junia.
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As the plot unveils, the nuns discover some dark secrets about their convent. They also have to battle some of their own fears and beliefs to help the young boy. The nuns also get help from a priest who denies exorcism rituals and believes in medical means and another priest who performs the ritual. Kwon further shared about the plot:
Audiences will find it refreshing to see nuns rushing and struggling to save a boy, with scenes that are both common in exorcism rituals in typical occult movies, along with some unexpected additions.
Kwon also shared that his film will highlight those elements that made its predecessorThe Priestsa huge success. The film recently dropped a teaser that featured Song and Jeon in their roles. Kwon is keen on selling the nuns’ perspective of the story, with the teaser showing the provocative words on the screen,“The ritual of the forbidden ones begins.”
While fans awaitDark Nunsin theaters, they can catchThe Priestsstreaming on Prime Video.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3017
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
