Squid Game actor Anupam Tripathi has secured the lead role in Korean horror omnibus App the Horror, a new feature currently in post-production and positioned for international buyers after its launch at the American Film Market. Sales are being handled by Hong Kong-based Autumn Sun in Asia and Russia, with Anthology21 overseeing deals for the rest of the world, signaling clear ambitions for a wide release.
Described in trade reports as a collection of eight short horror films linked by a single smartphone app, App the Horror focuses on how social media, loneliness and misogyny play out in an always-online culture. Each segment is framed around the way digital platforms can amplify harm, with the app acting as the narrative device that connects the stories. Writer-director Hyung Seul-woo, whose previous work includes 2023’s Someone You Loved, is steering the project.
Tripathi’s casting reflects how firmly he has established himself inside Korea’s screen industry since his breakout as Ali Abdul in the global phenomenon Squid Game. Born in Delhi and trained at India’s National School of Drama before winning a scholarship to the Korea National University of Arts, he has moved from small supporting roles to a steady presence across Korean films and television dramas. Recent years have seen him take on a lead role in the occult horror feature Rhapsody for the Dead (also known as Changhon: Night of Salvation), which premiered at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, underlining his growing association with genre projects.
In earlier comments about fronting a Korean horror film, Tripathi said he felt “very nervous, excited and emotional” about seeing his name at the top of the credits, describing the experience as a kind of blessing after years of smaller parts. App the Horror extends that trajectory, placing an Indian-born performer at the center of a Korean production that tackles global anxieties around online life. With post-production under way and market screenings drawing interest, the film now moves into the next phase of securing distribution, where Tripathi’s international recognition may help bring an explicitly Korean story about digital-age fears to audiences well beyond the country’s borders.
