One of Korea’s most iconic crime film franchises is returning for its final game. The Tazza series is officially set to continue with its fourth installment, Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub (working title), with a powerhouse lead cast now confirmed.
On December 15, distributor CJ ENM announced that Byun Yohan, Noh Jaewon, and Japanese actress Ayaka Miyoshi have finalized their roles for the upcoming film. Production has been underway since September, and the movie is scheduled for release next year.
A High-Stakes Reunion on a Global Gambling Table
Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub is a crime thriller centered on Jang Taeyoung (played by Byun Yohan), a man who believes he has everything after building a fortune through poker-based business ventures. His world collapses when he is betrayed by his closest friend, Park Taeyoung (Noh Jaewon), who takes everything from him.
The two former friends reunite on a high-stakes global gambling stage, where massive sums of money and their lives are on the line. The story promises intense psychological tension, betrayal, and the moral cost of obsession, serving as both a continuation and a finale to the long running Tazza universe.
Expanding the Tazza World Beyond Borders
Unlike previous installments, which focused largely on domestic gambling scenes such as hwatu and underground card games, the fourth film expands its scope to international poker business and global crime networks.
Japanese actress Ayaka Miyoshi joins the franchise as Kaneko, an executive connected to a corporation backed by a yakuza organization. Her character becomes deeply interested in the poker business run by the two male leads, adding a new layer of danger and intrigue. Known globally for her role in Netflix’s Alice in Borderland, Miyoshi is expected to broaden the franchise’s international appeal.
Cast With Proven Global Impact
Byun Yohan, recently in the spotlight for his personal life as well as his career, takes on the role of a naturally gifted gambler drawn irresistibly to the table. Known for performances in Voice, Hansan: Rising Dragon, and Following, he brings raw intensity to the role of a man undone by betrayal. Noh Jaewon, who gained worldwide attention through Squid Game Seasons 2 and 3, portrays a poker prodigy forever overshadowed by his friend a rivalry that eventually spirals into obsession and destruction.
A Director Known for Precision and Depth
The film is directed by Choi Kookhee, acclaimed for Default, which explored the human cost of Korea’s 1997 IMF crisis. His involvement signals a grounded yet ambitious approach, preserving the franchise’s DNA while pushing it in a darker, more contemporary direction.
A Final Bet
The newly revealed key image featuring poker cards marked with bloody fingerprints and a fly symbolizing Beelzebub hints at the film’s grim tone and fatal stakes. As the concluding chapter of the Tazza series, The Song of Beelzebub aims to honor its legacy while delivering a bold, high-risk finale. The table is set and the final hand will be dealt next year.
Editor’s Insight
The transition of the Tazza franchise from domestic “Hwatu” (flower cards) to the global stage of high-stakes poker is a brilliant evolution for 2026. While the original films captured the smoky, underground essence of Korean gambling dens, The Song of Beelzebub is scaling up to meet the “K-Noir” demand currently dominating global streaming platforms. By casting Noh Jaewon—who is fresh off the massive worldwide success of Squid Game Seasons 2 and 3—CJ ENM is effectively tapping into a pre-built global audience that craves high-tension survival narratives.
What’s particularly exciting is the “Dark Director” choice of Choi Kookhee. Known for his clinical and devastating portrayal of the IMF crisis in Default, Choi is the perfect person to strip away the “glamour” of gambling and focus on the “Beelzebub” element—the rot and obsession that follows a soul-crushing betrayal. The dynamic between Byun Yohan and Noh Jaewon feels like a classic noir tragedy in the making: two “prodigies” whose friendship is the only thing more volatile than the pots they’re playing for. Adding Ayaka Miyoshi into the mix as a cold, corporate-Yakuza presence ensures that this finale won’t just be about who has the better hand, but who survives the fallout when the table finally breaks. As the tagline suggests, this is the final bet, and it looks like it’s going to be a bloody one.