“I think with Im Si-wan, I went through love and jealousy (on screen),” said Sol jokingly at a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday.

“I think we had great chemistry,” said Im.

Im Si-wan (left) and Sol Kyung-gu attend a press conference for the film “The Merciless” on Wednesday in Seoul. (Yonhap)

Set to hit local theaters in May, the film is a story of Jae-ho, played by Sol, who harbors ambitions of becoming the leader of a criminal gang, and Hyun-soo, played by Im, a novice gangster with nothing in the world to fear. The two meet behind bars and make a pact to take over the world together after their release. However, the bromance starts to waver as they uncover each other’s secrets.

“I would always see love stories on screen,” said the film’s director Byun Sung-hyun, who last directed the 2012 romantic comedy “Whatcha Wearin’?” “I had a thirst for a story with broader strokes. I decided on a genre and wrote the story.”

The Cannes Film Festival takes place from May 17 until 28.

The historical period drama is set in Korea’s medieval Joseon period where a crown prince is sent on a suicide mission to investigate a mysterious outbreak, according to Netflix.

(Netflix)

Kim Eun-hee, whose work “Signal” was one of the most critically acclaimed TV shows in 2016, has worked on the eight-episode “Kingdom,” which is a zombie action thriller, since 2011.

“I wanted to write a story that reflects the fears and anxiety of modern times but explored through the lens of a romantic fascination of the historical Joseon period,” said Kim.

Director Kim Seong-hun’s latest success, “Tunnel,” was a top five movie in the Korean box office last year. “Kingdom” will premiere exclusively on Netflix in 2018.

“Kingdom captured our imaginations from the moment we read the script with its visual feast of historical drama blended with supernatural fantasy,” said Erik Barmack, vice president of international originals at Netflix.

Netflix has often partnered with big regional TV and movie names to produce original works. In Korea, it has invested $50 million in Bong Joon-ho’s new movie “Okja” and is also currently bankrolling the production of its first Korean series “Love Alarm” based on the webtoon of Chon Kye-young.