Dark Nuns
| Dark Nuns | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Hangul | 검은 수녀들 |
| Hanja | 검은 修女들 |
| Lit. | Black Nuns |
| RR | Geomeun sunyeodeul |
| MR | Kŏmŭn sunyŏdŭl |
| Directed by | Kwon Hyeok-jae |
| Written by | Kim Woo-jin |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Choi Chan-min |
| Edited by | Shin Min-kyung |
| Music by | Kim Tae-seong |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Next Entertainment World |
Release date |
|
Running time | 114 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$12 million[1][2] |
Dark Nuns (Korean: 검은 수녀들; also known as The Priest 2: Dark Nuns[3]) is a 2025 South Korean supernatural thriller film directed by Kwon Hyeok-jae, and starring Song Hye-kyo, Jeon Yeo-been, Lee Jin-wook, and Moon Woo-jin. The film is a spin-off of the 2015 film The Priests by Jang Jae-hyun, and it follows the two nuns who work together to save a boy who has been possessed by an evil spirit. It was released on January 24, 2025. It grossed a total of $11,174,146 domestically becoming the tenth highest-grossing film in South Korea in 2025.[4]
Plot
Sister Junia, a nun known for her strict faith and experience with spiritual crises, becomes involved in the case of Hee-joon, a young boy who exhibits signs of severe demonic possession. The Church initially delays intervention, questioning the nature of the possession and the risks involved. As the Hee-joon's condition worsens, Sister Junia takes responsibility for overseeing his care.
She is joined by Sister Michaela, a younger nun who is more pragmatic and skeptical of supernatural explanations. Despite their differences, the two work together to investigate the source of the possession. Their inquiry leads them to uncover suppressed records of previous exorcisms and forbidden rituals that were deliberately hidden by Church authorities.
As unauthorized rites are performed, the entity possessing Hee-joon grows increasingly violent, placing both nuns in danger. The case forces them to confront their personal doubts, guilt, and the limits of their faith. The situation escalates into a final confrontation in which sacrifice becomes unavoidable, and the boundaries between faith, sin, and redemption are tested.
Cast
- Song Hye-kyo as Sister Junia, a nun who is determined to save Hee-joon from his pain[5]
- Jeon Yeo-been as Sister Michaela, a fellow nun who decides to help Sister Junia after being intrigued by her[5]
- Lee Jin-wook as Father Paolo, a priest and psychiatrist who believes that Hee-joon can be cured medically[5]
- Moon Woo-jin as Hee-joon, a young boy who was possessed by a powerful evil spirit[5]
- Huh Joon-ho as Father Andrea, a priest who performs a ritual to save Hee-joon[5]
- Kim Gook-hee as Hyo-won, a shaman who helped Junia exorcise demons
- Shin Jae-hwi as Ae-dong, Hyo-won's disciple
- Gang Dong-won as Deacon Choi[6]
Production
Development
The film was announced as a spin-off of the 2015 film The Priests which directed and written by Jang Jae-hyun.[7] It is directed by Kwon Hyeok-jae, who worked on the films Troubleshooter (2010) and Count (2023), produced by the film company Zip Cinema, and distributed by Next Entertainment World.[8][9]
Casting
On November 13, 2023, Song Hye-kyo announced that she was in talks to star in the film, while Jeon Yeo-been was cast the same day.[10][11] On February 14, 2024, Lee Jin-wook was reportedly considering joining the film.[12] Two days later, Moon Woo-jin joined the film as his next work.[13] On the same day, the cast line-up—Song, Jeon, Lee, Moon, and Huh Joon-ho—were revealed.[5]
Filming
Principal photography were reportedly scheduled to begin in the first half of 2024.[11] It was confirmed that the filming would last for three months from February 22, to May 25, 2024.[14][15]
Release
Next Entertainment World announced that Dark Nuns was scheduled to be released in local theaters on January 24, 2025.[16]
According to distributor Next Entertainment World, on the 17th of January, Dark Nuns was pre-sold in 160 countries overseas, confirming simultaneous overseas releases one after another, starting with Indonesia, Taiwan, and Mongolia on the 24th, followed by the Philippines on the 29th, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Laos on February 6, U.S and Canada on February 7th, Singapore and Malaysia on February 13, and Vietnam on February 21st.[17]
Reception
Box office
The film released on January 24, 2025, alongside Hitman 2 and earned $4 million on its first week.[18]
Accolades
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2025 | Best Actress | Song Hye-kyo | Nominated | [19] |
| Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Yeo-been | Nominated | |||
| Best New Actor | Moon Woo-jin | Nominated | |||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2025 | Best Actress | Song Hye-kyo | Nominated | [20] |
| Best Supporting Actress | Jeon Yeo-been | Nominated | |||
| Buil Film Awards | 2025 | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [21] | |
| Best New Actor | Moon Woo-jin | Nominated | |||
| Golden Cinematography Awards | 2025 | Best Actress | Jeon Yeo-been | Won | [22] |
See also
References
- ^ "Dark Nuns (2025)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
- ^ "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) The Box office: Korean films of 2025". KOFIC. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ^ KTimes (November 5, 2024). "Song Hye-kyo becomes exorcist nun in 'The Priests 2: Dark Nuns'". The Korea Times. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) The Box office: Korean films of 2025". KOFIC. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f Lee, Mi-ji (February 16, 2024). 송혜교X전여빈X이진욱X허준호X문우진, '검은 수녀들' 캐스팅 확정(공식) [Song Hye-kyo X Jeon Yeo-been X Lee Jin-wook X Huh Jun-ho X Moon Woo-jin, 'Black Nuns' Casting Confirmed (Official)] (in Korean). Herald Pop – via Naver.
- ^ Kim, Ye-rang (January 20, 2025). 강동원 특별출연한 '검은 수녀들'…감독 "최부제 그대로 와줬다" [Kang Dong-won's special appearance in 'Black Nuns'... Director: "He came as the deacon Choi"] (in Korean). Hankyung.
- ^ Chin, Carmen (February 16, 2024). "'The Glory' actress Song Hye-kyo to lead spin-off of 'The Priests'". NME. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ Lee, Seung-hun (November 13, 2023). [단독]송혜교 수녀 된다..9년만 영화 女주인공 [[Exclusive] Song Hye-kyo becomes a nun..First female lead in a movie in 9 years] (in Korean). Star News. Retrieved December 18, 2024 – via Naver.
- ^ Kim, Ju-yeon (February 16, 2024). "Song Hye-kyo returns to silver screen after 10 years in 'The Priests' sequel". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ Lim, Jeong-won (November 13, 2023). "Song Hye-kyo in talks to make Korean silver screen comeback after 9 years". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Cho, Ji-young (November 13, 2023). [단독] 전여빈, 이번엔 수녀로 변신..영화 '검은 수녀들' 주연 캐스팅 [[Exclusive] Jeon Yeo-been, transformed into a nun this time..Cast as lead in movie 'Black Nuns'] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Retrieved December 18, 2024 – via Naver.
- ^ Lee, Mi-ji (February 14, 2024). 이진욱, 송혜교X전여빈과 만나나 "'검은 수녀들' 긍정 검토중"(공식) [Lee Jin-wook, meet with Song Hye-kyo X Jeon Yeo-bin, "Positively reviewing 'Black Nuns'" (Official)] (in Korean). Herald Pop. Retrieved December 18, 2024 – via Naver.
- ^ Go, Seung-a (February 16, 2024). [단독] '무인도의 디바' 문우진, '검은 사제들' 후속 영화 '검은 수녀들' 합류 [[Exclusive] 'Diva of the Deserted Island' Moon Woo-jin joins 'Black Priests' follow-up film 'Black Nuns'] (in Korean). News1. Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024 – via Naver.
- ^ Kim, Bo-young (February 16, 2024). 송혜교·전여빈 '검은 수녀들' 캐스팅 라인업 확정…22일 크랭크인 [Song Hye-kyo and Jeon Yeo-bin confirmed cast lineup for 'Black Nuns'…Starts filming on the 22nd] (in Korean). Edaily. Retrieved December 18, 2024 – via Naver.
- ^ Jang, Ju-yeon (May 29, 2024). 송혜교x전여빈 '검은 수녀들', 크랭크업…3개월 대장정 마무리 [Song Hye-kyo x Jeon Yeo-bin 'Black Nuns', crank-up…3-month long journey ends] (in Korean). Ilgan Sports. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024 – via Naver.
- ^ Kim, Ji-ye (November 4, 2024). "Song Hye-kyo, Jeon Yeo-been to become 'Dark Nuns' on Jan. 24". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ Koh, Seung-ah (January 17, 2025). "Song Hye-kyo's 'Black Nuns' Pre-Sold to 160 Countries... Simultaneous Release in Asia Confirmed". Naver. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (January 27, 2025). "Korea Box Office: 'Dark Nuns' Scares Up Top Spot as New Releases Surge". Variety. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Jeong, Han-Byeol (April 7, 2025). 다음 달 열리는 제61회 백상예술대상방송·영화·연극 부문 후보 발표. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- ^ Kim Na-yeon (October 21, 2025). "46회 청룡영화상 최종 후보 공개..'어쩔수가없다' 12개 부문 노미" [The 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards final nominees have been announced. "Inevitable" wins 12 categories]. Star News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
- ^ Kang Hye-min (July 24, 2025). 이병헌, 현빈→김고은, 이혜영...제34회 '부일영화상' 주인공은?. MHN (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ Jang Min-su (October 3, 2025). 추창민 감독 "故이선균-송영규에 영광을"→곽선영 "데뷔 첫 수상"...45회 황금촬영상 주인공은?. MHN (in Korean). Retrieved October 3, 2025.
External links
- Production website at Zip Cinema (in Korean)
- Production website at Next Entertainment World (in English and Korean)
- Dark Nuns at the Korean Movie Database (in Korean)
- Dark Nuns at IMDb
- Dark Nuns at HanCinema