While music has been the driving force behind the globalization of Korean pop culture, the hallyu wave is now taking cinema overseas to fans across the globe. Human action flick Fists of Legend is the biggest Korean film with direct distribution to be released simultaneously in Korea and the US, and on April 12, American movie buffs will have the opportunity to see the latest release from legendary director Kang Woo-suk.

Fists of Legend is based on the Korean web comic Legendary Fist and follows the story of three old friends whose lives are intertwined between the past and present when they meet again 25 years later on a mixed martial arts reality TV show. The brutal fighting competition drives the men back together to reconcile their broken friendship. The film combines action-packed fighting sequences with intense human drama that is both raw and intriguing making it one of the most highly anticipated films of the year.

The 19th film from Kang Woo-suk stars Hwang Jung-min, Yu Jun-sang and Yoon Jae-moon as the three street fighters, and the actors had to step out of their usual dramatic role comfort zones to train and prepare for filming. Even though they suffered severe injuries on set, the actors refused to stop, noting that it would better help them portray the physical and mental challenges facing their characters.

This is not the first time one of Kang's films has been released in the US. Three previous movies, How to Top My Wife, Two Cops, and Public Enemy were distributed in America and received critical acclaim. Nor is Kang the first Korean director to get recognition in the Americas for his work. In recent years many high-profile filmmakers from South Korea have been breaking into Hollywood, perhaps most notably Vengence Triology director, Chan-wook Park. Park released American directorial debut, Stoker, earlier this year and renowned US director Spike Lee is remaking his revenge classic Oldboy.

Previously only having a cult following in the states, Korean directors and actors are gaining more and more popularity in America. As the Korean film industry continues to create compelling, original screenplays and thought-provoking flicks, there is no doubt that they will start to gain a more popular following among American moviegoers.

Fists of Legend will be released this Friday, April 12 in 23 theaters in 20 popular cities across North America including New York, LA, Las Vegas and Vancouver.