Jonathan Fuge is a writer and editor at MovieWeb. A Film Studies graduate and all-round movie lover, he has written for a variety of different entertainment websites before finding a home at MovieWeb.

One of the best and most underrated action thriller franchises, led by one of the best and most underrated action heroes, no less, is coming back for another sequel after a mere two years. Featuring arguably the largest detective ever to grace the silver screen in MCU actor and criminally unsung genre star Ma Dong-seok, aka Don Lee, it has now been confirmed that a follow-up in the actor and walking fist’s action crime thriller series is now underway.

Kicking off back in 2017 with The Outlaws, which introduces Don Lee as a hard-hitting detective fighting to stop a turf war in Seoul, South Korea, the series is now known as The Roundup franchise thanks to its sequels, The Roundup (2022), The Roundup: No Way Out (2023), and The Roundup: Punishment (2024). All four installments have landed knockout reviews, resulting in score ranging from a near-perfect 91% to a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, the best action thriller franchise you’ve never heard of is back for a fifth round.

South Korean news outlet chosun.com has confirmed that cameras are now rolling on The Roundup 5, which finds Don Lee back in action as the fist-throwing detective. The Roundup: Punishment director, stunt professional Heo Myung-haeng, is also coming back for more, with Kim Jae-young (The Judge from Hell, Idol Child) on board as the main villain in a role that reunites him with Lee following the pair’s 2016 “wrong guy at the wrong time” action thriller, Derailed. The rest of the cast includes Seo Hyun-woo (Wall To Wall), Lee Hak-ju (The Great Flood), Baek Hyun-jin (Seoul Vibe), and Kim Min-ho (Swing Kids).

A 2027 release is planned for The Roundup 5, with the sequel merely the latest action thriller project for both the franchise (a spin-off is now in the works) and star Don Lee. The actor continues to demonstrate his unmatched punching power and affinity for bringing endearing action heroes to life, with the actor now signed on to lead one of two spin-offs in Netflix’s Extraction franchise. Titled Tygo, the action thriller will be set within the same universe as Chris Hemsworth’s unstoppable mercenary Tyler Rake (who himself is officially set to return for a third outing), taking the action thrills to South Korea and following the titular character, Tygo, a former child soldier who embarks on a mission of revenge.

Alongside joining one of Netflix’s biggest franchises and delivering a sequel in his own major franchise, Lee will also take the lead in the action horror flick Pig Village and return for a reimagining of his own crime thriller classic The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil from Saw director James Wan. Lee previously teased his exciting upcoming slate exclusively to MovieWeb, saying...

“I’m preparing the following [movies in] The Roundup series, five and six. And I’m also currently working with some Hollywood directors and studios to create various films and TV series. I'm working on remaking my previous Korean film The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil in Hollywood. At the same time, I’m also waiting for the next project with Marvel Studios.”