Netflix’s Breakout Action Star Returns in a Sequel Set to Ignite an Underrated Thriller Franchise

If you, like most people outside South Korea, have managed to miss the relentless big-fisted joy that is the The Roundup franchise, let me catch you up: it’s one of the most entertaining action thriller series going, yet somehow barely anyone talks about it. Starring Ma Dong-seok (who goes by Don Lee when he pops up in Hollywood), these films deliver exactly what you want: tough, street-level justice meted out by the largest detective committed to celluloid. Forget the sleek notepads or ambiguous morality – this bloke solves things with his hands. And audiences love him for it.

From The Outlaws to Now: The Full Rundown

The original film, The Outlaws, burst onto the scene in 2017, giving us our first glimpse of Lee’s anti-hero, desperately clobbering his way through a vicious gang war in Seoul. Since then, the series has rebranded as The Roundup and kept the sequels coming:

• The Outlaws (2017)
• The Roundup (2022)
• The Roundup: No Way Out (2023)
• The Roundup: Punishment (2024)

Each film clocks in anywhere from 91% to a full 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, so clearly, the critics aren’t just being polite either.

New Sequel, Familiar Fists

Now, according to Korea’s chosun.com, cameras are rolling on The Roundup 5. No, that’s not a typo – a fifth mainline entry is shooting, only two years after the last. Don Lee is back as Detective Ma Seok-do, and honestly, at this point, you’d need someone twice his size if you wanted to replace him. Directing duties again fall to Heo Myung-haeng (who’s also behind all those brutal stunts in The Roundup: Punishment). The returning team gives some hope they’ll stick to what works – namely, the battered faces and satisfyingly direct plotting.

And if you like returning faces, Kim Jae-young is on villain duty this round, re-teaming with Don Lee after their face-off in 2016’s Derailed (another film that probably deserved more love). The supporting cast: Seo Hyun-woo (Wall To Wall), Lee Hak-ju (The Great Flood), Baek Hyun-jin (Seoul Vibe), and Kim Min-ho (Swing Kids). Release is pencilled in for 2027, so yes, there’s a bit of a wait, but at this pace, Lee will be punching out crims well into the 2030s.

The Don Lee Expanded Universe (No, Seriously)

The The Roundup franchise is now so popular in Korea that it’s even getting a spin-off of its own (details under wraps). But Don Lee’s workload doesn’t stop there. He’s secured a starring spot in the next Extraction spin-off for Netflix – that’s the Chris Hemsworth-lead action franchise, if you’re keeping score. This one’s called Tygo, and it will reportedly follow a former child soldier out for revenge in South Korea. Looks like Netflix is hungry for more shirtsleeves-rolled-up chaos in the vein of Tyler Rake.

On top of all that, for anyone who likes their action with a side of horror, Don Lee’s signed up for Pig Village, and he’ll be back for a Hollywood-flavoured remake of his own cult classic action flick The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (this time produced by Saw director James Wan).

In His Own Words

If you’re wondering how he juggles it all, Lee himself admitted in a recent interview:

"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."