Set to make a comeback, Yoo Ah-in appeared markedly different from before.

The production team behind “Vampir,” tentative English title, announced Tuesday that the project had finalized its cast, including Yoo, Lee Sung-min, Lee Jun-hyuk, Kim Do-i, Yoon Kyung-ho and Choi Hyun-wook, and entered production this month.

An occult thriller, “Vampir” follows an unidentified contract killer who tracks down a mysterious pagan group at the request of a clergyman.

The film drew heightened attention as it will mark Yoo’s first big-screen project since he became embroiled in a drug-related controversy and went on hiatus.

Yoo had been rumored to be joining the cast since last year. At the time, the actor’s agency distanced itself from the reports, stating that his appearance in the film had not been decided. As recently as last month, film distributor NEW said it remained unclear whether Yoo would appear in the film.

But with his casting officially confirmed after a year of speculation, Yoo’s return to cinema is now set to begin with “Vampir.”

In a photo from a script-reading session released by the company, Yoo was seen sporting a markedly different look. Wearing a white shirt and his hair neatly styled with bangs over his forehead, he appeared focused on the script reading.

It marked a contrast to his most recent public appearance at a preview of the film “Hope” last month, when he wore a baseball cap pulled low, with his hair falling to the nape of his neck and gray strands visible beneath the cap. In the newly released photo, the actor appeared without gray hair, having presumably dyed it ahead of filming.

The actor came under investigation in 2023 on suspicion of illegal drug use. He was subsequently indicted and, in September 2024, sentenced to one year in prison by a lower court and taken into custody. In February 2025, an appeals court reduced his sentence to a one-year prison term suspended for two years, leading to his release. The Supreme Court upheld the sentence on July 3 of that year.

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.