The Warriors of the Dawn are a band of mercenaries who assist the young Prince Gwanghae, who was forced to defend the Joseon Kingdom against Japanese invaders during the Imjin War in 1592, when his father, the king, fled north to save his own skin. An uneasy relationship between Lee Jung-jae’s gruff mercenary leader and Yeo Jin-gu’s prince builds into one of mutual respect as they fight side by side on the battlefield.

Taking place during the same era as Roaring Currents, Warriors of the Dawn switches out the court politics and costume drama stuffiness of other recent period titles in favor of action filmed on location in the fields, forests, hills and rivers of Korea. From Marathon director Chung Yoon-chul, the film is the latest Korean production by 20th Century Fox International Productions, who were also responsible for last year’s hit The Wailing.