Seoul (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network) - Kris, a former member of K-pop group EXO, is following in former Super Junior member Han Geng's footsteps and will star with him in a Korean-Chinese film.

According to local news reports on Monday, Kris won a role as one of the male leads in the romance Xiao You Qiao Mu, directed by Korean film-maker Jo Jin Kyoo.

Kris is the latest addition to the cast and joins Han and Korean actor Joo Won. In the film the three stars compete to win the heart of the same woman.

Kris' move has come under the spotlight after he filed a lawsuit against SM Entertainment, one of Korea's three largest talent agencies, on May 15. He demanded that his contract be nullified, taking issue with "exploitation" and "unfair treatment" from the agency.

Korean news outlets cited industry insiders as saying Yuehua, the distributor of the forthcoming film, helped Kris win the part.

Yuehua is also the biggest entertainment powerhouse in China that manages a host of top-tier Chinese stars including Han. The former Super Junior member also filed a lawsuit against SM Entertainment in late 2009, claiming his contract was unfair.

Shortly after Kris departed from the K-pop scene, his mother reportedly contacted Yuehua, seeking a contract with the agency.

The two male leads - Han and Kris -- have a few things in common. They both debuted as Chinese members of K-pop groups and rose to stardom in Asia. They also decided to launch legal battles against SM Entertainment and left their groups at the peak of their popularity.

The only difference is that Han has won his lawsuit while Kris still has a long way to go before his contract with SM Entertainment is legally terminated.