D-War (Korean: 디워, released in North America as Dragon Wars: D-War) is a 2007 American-South Korean action-adventure fantasy film written and directed by Shim Hyung-rae, and starring Jason Behr, Amanda Brooks, Robert Forster, and Elizabeth Peña.

At the time of its release, it was the highest-budgeted South Korean film of all time.^[2] The film grossed $75 million worldwide and received generally negative reviews.

The story follows the adventures of Ethan Kendrick, charged in his childhood by the enigmatic Jack to protect the Yuh Yi Joo, an individual who had been born able to change an Imoogi chosen by heaven into a Celestial Dragon, from a corrupt Imoogi identified as "Buraki", who was prevented from obtaining it in the past by Ethan and Jack's previous incarnations. To this end, Jack gives Ethan a medallion formerly belonging to Ethan's previous incarnation Haram, and reveals that the reincarnated Yuh Yi Joo is Sarah Daniels, whom Ethan will find in Los Angeles.

15 years after this revelation, Buraki invades the city, bent on capturing Sarah; whereupon Ethan, now a television news anchor, rescues her, conveys the knowledge of her purpose, and attempts to save her from Buraki, during which they eventually regain the memories of their past lives. During the resulting chase, Buraki's "Atrox Army" enters the city and engages the United States Army, the United States Air Force, and the Los Angeles Police Department in battle. Here, the Atrox Army is shown to consist of black-armored, humanoid knight warriors; theropod-like cavalry called "Shaconnes"; small, winged Western dragons called "Bulcos"; and immense, slow-moving reptiles carrying rocket-launchers on their backs, identified in the dialogue as "Dawdlers". Despite losses, this army overwhelms the human forces, while Ethan and Sarah escape the city, but are subsequently captured by the Bulcos and taken to a menacing fortress in the midst of a darkened desert landscape. There, as Buraki emerges from the fortress to consume Sarah, Ethan's medallion unleashes power that destroys the Atrox Army. Ethan then attempts to prevent Buraki from consuming Sarah, but he is knocked away, whereupon the Good Imoogi, of whom the power in Sarah was to be given, emerges from the fortress and attacks Buraki. The two Imoogi, good and evil, engage each other in a duel that Buraki appears to win after seemingly snapping the Good Imoogi's neck. After this, Buraki again approaches Sarah, who finally offers herself willingly; but instead gives her power to the injured Good Imoogi who absorbs it. Sarah faints, and Buraki can do nothing as the Good Imoogi becomes the Celestial Dragon (Type: Lung Dragon), continuing the duel until it finally destroys Buraki with a blast of flames.

Ethan watches Sarah dissolve into a spirit form, and the Celestial Dragon permits her to speak to Ethan, whom she assures that they shall see each other again, and promises to "love...for all eternity"; then withdraws Sarah into its body and ascends into the sky, through the parting clouds to the heavens. Jack appears behind Ethan, reminding him that the two of them "have been given a great honor" to take part in this transformation, and vanishes. After whispering "Goodbye old man", Ethan walks away into the desert.

• Jason Behr as Ethan Kendrick Protecter Of Hero Main Protagonist
  • Cody Arens as Young Ethan
• Amanda Brooks as Sarah Daniels, the holder of the Yeo-Yi-Ju
  • Cheyenne Alexis Dean as Young Sarah
• Robert Forster as Jack, Ethan's mentor and Sarah's guardian
• Chris Mulkey as Agent Frank Pinsky, senior partner of an investigation
• Elizabeth Peña as Agent Linda Perez, a scientist employed by the FBI
• Craig Robinson as Bruce, Ethan's fellow-member in televised journalism
• Aimee Garcia as Brandy, Sarah's friend
• John Ales as Agent Judah Campbell, junior partner to Frank Pinsky
• Billy Gardell as Mr. Belafonte
• Holmes Osborne as Hypnotherapist
• Geoff Pierson as Secretary of State
• Derek Mears as Bounty Hunter
• Retta as Receptionist Nurse
• Michael Shamus Wiles as Evil General
• Hyun Jin as Haram, the previous incarnation of Ethan's soul
  • Kyuho Moon as Young Haram
• Hyojin Ban as Narin, the previous incarnation of Sarah's soul
• Roberta Farkas (uncredited) as Narrator

Originally titled Dragon Wars (and still referred to by this title in publicity material), D-War had a long production history in South Korea. The film was announced in 2001 by director Shim Hyung-rae as his follow-up project to 1999's Yonggary. The budget was set at 30 billion won (approximately US$35 million),^[3] but ultimately went over budget in order to create the various creatures in the film, with some outside estimation as high as $US75 million dollars. The DVD release confirmed that it did indeed cost US$99 million.^[2]

As with Yonggary, Shim opted for a mostly American cast. Veteran actor Robert Forster landed a pivotal role and Jason Behr and Amanda Brooks were cast as the two young leads.

The next three years were spent creating the creature effects, all of which were done in house by Shim's Younggu-Art Movies company. The completed film premiered at the American Film Market in early 2007 and was released in South Korea on 1 August. In the U.S., the film was released on 14 September by Freestyle Releasing.

On 7 August, South Korea's Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Morning Live TV Show broadcast the film's final scene on TV without the permission of the studio, causing a controversy. A few days later the Ministry of Culture and Tourism released a statement in which they said that the incident did not violate South Korean copyright laws.^[4]

In March 2016, a sequel entitled D-War II: Mysteries of the Dragon was revealed to be in development, to be co-financed with Japan's H&R Global Pictures. The film is currently in development.^[15]