By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- Actor Byun Yo-han said Tuesday the latest installment in the long-running "Tazza" crime franchise tells a completely standalone story, marking a fresh start for the 20-year-old series as it heads into its finale.

The fourth film, "Tazza: Song of Beelzebub," follows Jang Tae-young (Byun), a man who made his fortune in online casinos, as he crosses paths again with his former best friend Park Tae-young (Roh Jae-won), who betrayed him and seized everything he had, setting off a fierce revenge saga on the global gambling stage.

Unlike the first three films, which expanded within a single connected world -- from the original story of "Goni" to those of "Daegil" and "Ilchul," the son of "Jjakgwi" -- the new entry unfolds in an independent universe, Byun told reporters at a press conference in Seoul.

"Even if you have not seen the earlier series, all viewers will be able to focus on the film's story," Byun said, adding that he hoped both longtime fans of the original webtoon and the "Tazza" films, as well as newcomers, would enjoy the movie.

Director Choi Guk-hee said while the film continues to use gambling as its core subject, it shifts focus toward the characters' inner lives and human emotions, such as envy, jealousy and betrayal, centering on two friends with the same name whose relationship is shattered by betrayal and revenge.

Byun described his character Jang Tae-young as "lucky, optimistic, sociable, bold and unrestrained," traits he sees as the opposite of Roh's Park Tae-young.

"I tried to match the spirit of the main character in Heo Young-man's original comic book while finding common ground with the role described in the film's script."

Praising Roh's performance, he added that the actor's match with his character was "200 percent."

Roh said the original comic series was so compelling he could not stop thinking about it for months, and that Byun was the key to his performance.

"To me, Byun was Jang Tae-young himself," he said, adding that on set he sometimes felt jealous and even secretly mimicked Byun because he wanted to be like him.

To prepare for the roles, both actors kept poker chips in their hands constantly, even handling them first thing in the morning to get used to the feel, Roh added.

The film also features Japanese actress Ayaka Miyoshi and Korean actors Jo Woo-jin, Yoon Kyung-ho, Kim Min-ho, Lim Se-mi and Moon Ji-hoon.

Asked about the meaning of the title, Choi explained that religious figures in medieval Europe viewed playing cards as the devil's tools.

"The 13 spade cards were each named after a devil. The ace of spades represents Lucifer, and the two of spades represents Beelzebub," he said. "I think the title came from the original comic book's lore of a high-stakes gamble between the two."

Where previous films depicted underground gambling dens centered on "hwatu," a Korean card game, and poker, the fourth film expands the stage to global casinos, sports Hold'em, and sophisticated betting games entangled with massive capital.

Closing out the two-decade-old series that began with "Tazza: The High Rollers" in 2006, Choi said he felt both honored and weighed down by responsibility. "As a fan of 'Song of Beelzebub' myself, I felt a strong duty to make it well, so I poured a lot of affection into it," he said.

"Tazza: Song of Beelzebub" is set to open on Sep. 23, the day before the extended Chuseok holiday.

sshim@yna.co.kr

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