Here we go, first promotional character stills of the cast of Athena. You won’t find the concept that novel if you’re familiar with the look of IRIS‘s promotional shots, but it IS interesting to finally get a peek into the spinoff’s world. I actually think IRIS‘s promos were better-looking, but for some reason I’m more interested in Athena than I was about IRIS.
First up is Jung Woo-sung, above, who plays a top agent with the National Anti-Terror Service. (IRIS was set amongst the National Security Service, or NSS, while Athena moves to the NTS.) Can I just say that I love that he’s wearing a fancy suit and bowtie like he’s freaking James Bond? I have a feeling Athena‘s story may be more out-there than its predecessor, but since it’s hardly realistic either way, I say bring on the antics.
Lee Jung-gil will reprise his role from IRIS as the president Jo Myung-ho, indicating that this series will place a little more focus on the Blue House (Korea’s White House) than the previous series did. (The newly cast Lee Bo-young plays his daughter.)
The drama is a week into production; filming began on June 19. Overseas location shoots will begin in July.
Below, Su Ae (Sunny, Bottom of the 9th Inning with 2 Outs) sheds her innocent image to go sexy as an NTS agent:
Cha Seung-won (City Hall) is looking mighty fierce as a spy:
Kim Min-jong (Return of Iljimae) takes a departure from his gentle image to play a North Korean defector who becomes Jung Woo-sung’s partner:
Choi Siwon (Oh My Lady) starts out as a newbie data analyst and looks up to his sunbae Jung Woo-sung, but he’ll get his turn in the spy limelight later in the series:
And Lee Jia (Beethoven Virus) rounds out the group of agents. I think (hope) the tough image works much better with her personality than the “girly” one; she was much, much more interesting as tomboyish Sujini in Legend than she was as a shrill fashion assistant in Style.
RELATED POSTS
- Athena casts Lee Bo-young as presidential daughter
- Choi Siwon joins Athena
- Kim Min-jong joins Athena
- IRIS 2 to follow Athena in 2011
- Su Ae cast as leading lady in IRIS spinoff Athena
- Athena unveils its leads
RECENTLY RECAPPED
Hmmmm…..Cha Seung Won and Choi Si-won are good enough draws to this drama! Hopefully it takes off and does well!
Oh. My. God!
I’m SO excited for this.
I love Cha Seung Won… I just hope the writing is better. I had a heck of a time trying to finish IRIS.
^ Eye candy too hahahahah XD
YEAAAAAAAAH YOOOOO! i can’t wait for this drama – i’m so freakin hyped right now…
and watch – i’ll be sorely disappointed!! hah! >_<
AWWWWW, so excited. Droolz over my I Lub You in a tux. Now that The Good and The Bad are making spy dramas, when is The Weird coming to the small screen. I’d also watch The Weird chew up the scenary anyday.
Everyone in Athena is looking so damn fine!
They look like robots to me in those pictures… But I might watch Athena, because I LOVE Su Ae and Cha Seung Won!
Thanks for sharing JB ^^!
……….. Siwon!!! Smokin!!!
Si won looks weird to me… we’ll just have to see what the series itself to judge though I love him in Oh My Lady. I’m actually digging this cast way better than iris…didn’t even try to finish the series after 2 episodes…
look like the matrix shoot
Su Ae who normally have a sweet and fragile image suprise me here… she looks fierce!!! Me like!
And I love all the mono, probably coz I wear tonnes of black myself…
And all the men are looking mighty fine! And Siwon bb… awww… I wanna bring you home!
I find the poster of Jung Woo Sung unappealing. His pose is awkward and his facial expression is one which lacks confidence.
I was not able to finish IRIS, as the writing just wasn’t that great, especially since the production value was so high. It was a let down.
I’ll try to watch this one, but I’m not too enthusiastic about it. Oh well, we shall see. Thanks for the update.
Oh, I just noticed that the three leads (JWS, Su Au, and CSW) are holding long sniper rifles, with the three secondary leads are holding automatic pistols.
Not sure what that means, other than an excuse to put a shotgun-esque weapon in the hands of JWS (ZOMG, just thinking about that desert sequence in TGTBTW when he’s on a horse with a shotgun, and I dies from the hot kickass-ness).
Anyways, JWS looks skinnier, maybe the Jianyu Jianghu shoot was a tad draining. Regardless, oh please make the story be fun and entertaining!
Wow, the men are lookin’ suave and the women look HOT! I am so looking forward to this more than Iris. I like both Soo Ae and Lee Ji ah but I don’t know if they could top Kim So Yeon though. She was pretty badass in IRIS. We’ll have to wait and see.
Siwon looks.
Ekkk.
At least let his bangs down.
Gives him more of a fierce look.
Rawr!
BEST FRIDAY EVER.
JWS does remind one of James Bond: shaken, not stirred. CSW is looking mighty fine as my Black Knight. And, I know Si-won will look great in black leather… can’t you picture Su Ae and Lee Jia having to toss their hair back before they can take a shot? Hope the script is good….lost interest in IRIS. Looking forward to this one, mainly because of CSW, whom I luv…
nice!!!!!!!!!!! Can’t wait
@13 ockoala
LOOK! It’s The Good in a tux! Dress the man up and give him a shotgun
and I’m willing to give it a chance (OMG! The Bad vs. The Good in the train. Loves!)
A couple of my favorite actors there. But even The Bad and TOP couldn’t make me watch all of IRIS.
oh choi siwon, the things i would do just for a grab at that tushie. teehee ;p
Jung Woo-sung looks just like Fukuyama Masaharu in that pic!
Hmmm, I might watch this one. I didn’t watch any eps of Iris.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy too many good looking pictures on this post. Excited to see if this truly is even more ridiculous than its predecessor.
Thanks for this update! Looks really interesting ♥
I’m an Italian fan, any news about the filming here? It will be really nice, altough a dream, to be able to meet them!
Si Won has that classic leading man savior faire. I think he will mature well…:)
The images are a little bit cliche and rediculous perhaps? Perhaps I’m just jaded…
So the title is “Athena: GODDESS OF WAR”. Then will a female character be the center of the series? Or at least do some major butt kicking instead of being a damsel in distress?? Please tell me this won’t be a drama where they give all the action and cool stuff to the guys!!
Also, Who is the goddess of war they are referring to?
Wow. They all look so badass in the pictures.
The pics all seem the exact same but somehow… I’m still excited! Thank you Korean drama makers! You do want me to watch!
WOW! Sizzling hot pics! I’m afraid to leave this up on my screen for too long, it might start smokin’ up the place.
How fierce is Su Ae, anyway? Love her! And Siwon looks like he should be in a Humphrey Bogart movie (I mean that as a compliment)!
Thanks JB!
Also…I wish there had been a part for a quirky, adorable, insanely hot (in a totally geeky way) guy who just happens to look GREAT in black and just happens to be named Lee Min-ki (aka Love of My Life).
Just sayin’.
What in the world? I’m actually getting interested.
I really like Su Ae and this definitely seems like a much different character from her usual work, so I’m curious to see how it turns out. I wasn’t planning on watching this drama , but now I think I might give it a try.
@ momosan (and everyone one curious about all The Good references).
You mean give THIS MAN a tux and a shotgun? Oh hells yeah, and he better ride a horse in Athena, any excuse, get on on a horseback, stat!
One of the coolest action sequences ever not involving special effects:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLHlZ23TAlo
Now you all can agree with me that, yes, Athena is going to look good, even if all else fails and the story sucks donkey.
And Su Ae in her husky voice whispering I love yous to my I Lub You. Okay, I’m stalking this comment thread until JB bans me.
I did not watch IRIS..But this cast Minus..Lee Jiah ..looks Exciting ..I am up for this one
I think the picts of The Good doesn’t do him justice but CSW looks hot hot hot. I love the fact he is playing a baddie.
And Soo Ae looks like a fierce little girl! I just hope she doesn’t fight with high heels on, only Buffy can get away with that.
Ockoala,
that clip whetted my hanckering for a rewatch and this time with hubby since he is missing a masterpiece. That movie had me in a good mood for days.
This Greek-goddess name thing is amusing me. Iris. Athena. The next sequel should be “Aphrodite”, although that title would suggest that the show would eventually descend into a never-ending orgy. Probably Too Hot For Korea. Then again, Iris is, like, goddess of rainbows and whatnot, and they managed to make that show about killing and intrigue, so it doesn’t matter what the title is.
To be quite frank, Athena looks to be a bit ridiculous.
…And I’m SO in!!!
PS: GQ cabana-boy Siwon as a data analyst? I laughed out loud. I’m not sure if I’m more excited about him being an adorable newbie data analyst or the BAMF he will morph into later in the series.
Su Ae rocks and Si Won is sooooooo cooooool, i’m practically drooling, kekekekekee
@ nycgrl
I was thisclose to divorcing hubby for not loving TGTBTW (we watched it together). Hope yours has better taste. Oh yeah, I was skipping for days after watching it, such a fun movie! And humming the dumdumdum version of Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.
btw, don’t want to get into a debate on who is hotter/sexier between JWS-CSW (I have my days, but today they are equal).
Does this CM between JWS and Jeon Ji-hyun change your mind?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-LDalE435w
Su Ae looks really good. She has put on a bit of muscles so she looks much better. I think, she has the most natural face among the Korean actresses plus she’s a really good actress,
DAYUMMMM
Cha Seung Won and Jung Woo Sung are steaming it up!
@ockoala
If hubby doesn’t like the movie I’ll threaten divorce as well & then we’ll all live in a commune of drama addicts.
I saw that CF before and i have to say if I was on the dance floor with JJH I’d be sidling up next to her instead. Damn that girl has a smoking body
I’ve seen both guys enough where I prefer CWS but I’ll keep an open mind since buta ll the more for you my dear.
cha and choi HAAAWT!!!! si won looks especially scrumptious in those pants *chokes on drool* *dies*
@ Lahlita, the greek goddess thing started with Shiri/Swiri movie – where Kim Yunjin (as the North Korean female spy) is compared to Hydra. It’ll be great to see a female character dominate a high-profile action series!
Cha’s been doing lotsa baddies lately huh? Before he became comic superstar with My Teacher Mr. Kim, he was a quiet psycho arsonist in Libera Me. Recently he went back to antagonist in Eye for an Eye, Blades of Blood, Into the Gunfire…and now Athena. Nobody expects JWS to be villain I guess
None of the ladies look like they’re capable of holding a gun. Look at them, they’re sticks!
Kim So Yeon’s fierce auro was much better.
Skimmed IRIS for Seol-hwa (and some TOP).
Will skim Athena for the beautiful, the luminous Jeung Woo-sung (loved him since Daisy) and Cha Seung-won who’s looking so smouldery and badass – w00t!
The posters are kind of dramatic for me. It’s like “hey look at how cool I look as I pose with this fake gun.” On the plus side though, Choi Shi Won looks delicious.
my my, they are looking GOOD. look at siwon’s eyes! *_*
Omo omo… Jung Woo-sung looks so damn slick in this picture! I feel like looking at one of James Bond’s/Scarface promo poster… (not sure why I am getting this feeling). And the guy from City Hall too is here! (damn I so need to learn their names sigh*)