Hm, so apparently Lee Seung-gi won’t be the new lead of the Hong sisters writing team’s new drama Discovery of Affection, which has also teased a possible Gong Hyo-jin casting.
The synopsis for the project has reportedly been entirely rewritten, and with that goes Lee Seung-gi’s potential return as their leading man; he’d anchored last year’s adorable fantasy comedy, My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho. All that’s been given to describe the project is that it’s about the romance between a top actor and a has-been actress.
I know this news may come as a disappointment to a certain co-blogger, but to be honest I’m perfectly happy with it. One of the things I appreciate about the Hongs is their willingness — preference, even — to go with new lead actors every time, many of them on the lesser side of famous. (They tend to do the opposite with their favorite secondary actors, bringing some back for drama after drama. Choi Ran has appeared in four of six, Ahn Seok-hwan in three.) The exception to this is Jang Geun-seok, but that’s because he moved up from second lead in Hong Gil Dong to main man in You’re Beautiful.
In any case, as much as I enjoy Lee Seung-gi, I’m even more curious about the new direction this drama is taking, because apparently the new contender for the lead is…Cha Seung-won??
With the synopsis revision, the Hongs have aged up the hero a bit, taking him out of his twenties. According to one broadcast rep, Cha Seung-won has taken a solo meeting (without his manager) with producers to discuss the project, which was confirmed by his agency.
It takes quite a leap to go from a good-natured, grinning boy-next-door to a dark, tattooed badass. And I think I’m liking the possibility, if only because I’m dying to see the grizzled, tough Cha putting his funnybone to work as a Hong sisters hero. For one thing, they have a knack for stripping a man of his dignity, in the funniest possible ways. Jae Hee dressed up as Juliet’s nurse. Oh Ji-ho as a plumber. Kang Ji-hwan miming his way out of recognition. Jang Geun-seok in every scene of You’re Beautiful.
I mean, it’s ridiculous and crazy, right? So crazy…it just might work?
Discovery of Affection will be directed by Queen Seon-deok’s Park Hong-kyun, and is MBC’s next Wednesday-Thursday drama, to replace the new series Royal Family.
Via No Cut News
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- ATHENA: Episode 1
- Cha Seung-won recovers, returns to Athena
- Lee Seung-gi nominated for SBS MC daesang
- My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho: Episode 1
- Profile on Hong Sisters writing duo
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awww i love lee seung-gi….
Now this is interesting. CSW being cast, I’m picturing a completely different drama.
CSW?!
The hottest person on Athena, bar none! He made looking bad look good- and there really was scarcely any other reason to sit through Athena…
But back to topic- I’m with you! Dying to see how brooding, high-profile hero/anti-hero (City Hall/Athena) that he is known for, goes from that to crazy fun that the Hong sisters are famed for!
I’ll confess I wasn’t a MGIAG fan and I think that’s because I found the leads a little light-weight… You’re Beautiful had JGS going all out even if he isn’t a heavy-weight either.
JSW?
Definitely heavy weight- plus crazily sexy.
Dark and sexy, meets crazy and funny….
Let the weirdness begin!
Oppss… sorry CSW! Getting my JGS and CSW initials mixed up in my excitement….
The possibilities are endless with CSW in a Hong sisters drama! I had mixed feelings about LSG coming back as a lead, since it would lead to comparisons to his character in MGIAG. I think it’s better to pick a new lead but I hope Gong Hyo-jin is still being considered.
Interesting… I love LSJ… but I like the possibility of Cha Seung-won as the male lead… he was so good in City Hall…. and I can totally see him in the Hong’s sister drama… Looking forward to hear more about it.. and to see who finally cast as the female lead.
Yeah I miss seeing a funny CSW….let’s hope this work out…I wanna see CSW in a Hong’s sisters’ drama….full of weird possibilities?
no more lee seung-gi? awww! i’m kinda excited to see him in a hong sister drama again…
cha seung won? hmmmm…. i wonder if he can pull off being funny or does he have a comedic timing that the hong sister drama drama usually needs?
well, i guess we just need to wait and see!
CSW is funny. he was in city hall. and i’ve seen one movie of his, the one with the haunted house, and he was pretty effective there as well.
i think he’s perfect. he has the chops to act funny and then switch to heartbreakingly conflicted the next.
i’m actually more excited about CSW being cast as lead than LSG.
now, i wonder who’s in contention for the female lead?
second this. I love Cha Seung-won in City Hall, he’s not just funny but sexy, crazy and did the melo part very good. So I’m still excited about this.
SPOILER
It just kill me when Cha Seung-won pretended to be Kim Sun-ah’s boyfriend in front of her ex who she said look like Hyun-Bin.
Totally. CSW reminds me of Cary Grant, all ready to bust out with rascally slapstick humor, shooting rapid fire banter, and knowingly obliging in being made a fool, while beneath all of which exists some serious decency, intensity, and depth of being.
I agree! He can do both funny and dramatic SO well.
And I died laughing at that Hyun Bin reference.
I totally agree with you ! I ‘ll watch any drama with CSW in it .
You should watch Kick the Moon, Break Out, and Jailbreakers. He’s so funny in those three movies, which were written by the writer of the cult movie Attack the Gas Station.
hahaha … some co-blogger will not like this news …. me too .. love lee seungi
Awww this is really exciting! I liked him in City Hall! Ditto to what hpn88 said – Lee is cute – CSW’s giving off vibes of a different kind totally!
Wow! Cha Seung-won = silver lining (?)
I’ve never actually actually seen him in any drama before. CH is on my list of must sees, and with Athena…probably sometime after I’m done with all the must sees.
I’d love to see him do a Hong Sisters drama. Loving this new trend of “serious actors” doing rom-coms. I mean I’ve never really seen Shin Mina’s appeal before MGIAG or Mr. Hand Towel before MP. =)
CH is a must-see!! You’ll find CSW really good at both funny and serious scenes
I think I’m totally psyched! I am, right? This is madness, but madness is good! …..right? I mean, how can this possibly go wrong?!
not a big fan at of CSW….kind of wish it was woong-ah, but you are right in that they do tend to pick actors who are up and rising. so i am excited to see who they pick (although I really hope its not mr. tattoo-man!
As much as I’m sad to see LSG go (MGIAG is one of my favorite romcom, if not THE most favorite romcom of 2010) I’m sooo excited about the possibility of seeing CSW on a Hong sister drama. ZOMG! *___*
CSW?!…very interesting indeed… perhaps i’m more interested with this possibility, since I haven’t watched CH idk abt his comedic chops but i’m sure he’ll be fine..ma need something a little lighter now that Athena’s all wrapped up
OMFG :O
I’m all IN!!!
i was disappointed until i read that the possible new lead is Cha Seung-won! omg DO WANT i was waiting for a more “light” role since he wrapped “City Hall” and i hope this is the chance to watch his funny side.
it’s a bummer that it’s not a new drama project for LSG but i think he receives a lot of offers so we might see him soon.
And despite the fact they write cute and funny well, I know I have cried more during Hong sisters’ dramas than almost any others.
He WILL be put through the wringer; we will go weepily through it with him.
OMG. my ultimate ahjussi crush.
Hong Sisters+Cha Seung Won+Gong Hyo Jin= a MUST SEE for me.
i will watch ANYTHING with CSW. (except Athena. Sorry.)
hahahhaha
i second that. I couldn’t go through Athena despite i like CSW a lot.
I thought it was too soon for LSG to be in another Hong sisters drama, but with CSW, I am totally excited.
I love LSG, I really do.
But CSW is the man, really THE MAN.
If I remember City Hall corectly this is going to be AWESOME!! OMG I am soooo psyched about this, I hope they choose a main actress that can keep up with him and not dissapear in the shadow of his AWESOMENESS.
I saw CSW on an episode of Family Outing and thought he was pretty funny. Hopefully his natural charisma will shine through.
OH MY GOD!
IF IT’S CHA SEUNG WON – THEN THIS CERTAIN FAN WILL BE VERY VERY HAPPY!
i still kinda wish it’s not Gong Hyo Jin though. She great and all, but she’s not someone who will draw me in…
cha seung won! I luv him very much whether he’s good or bad but gong hyo jin….. I dont know seem like an odd couple. but …. who knows may be they can have a good chemistry ………
CSW? Really????!!!!! Yummeeee….I likee very much!!!! Goes to show how versatile he is/can be!!! Now, he’s what I would call an ACTOR!!!!!
I’m too excited for words – I can barely type – I don’t, in retrospect, know how this is being typed now. *GASSSPPP*
It’s all too much.
Oh ji ho as a plumber….aww.. don’t reminded me! *drool*
CSW.. ooohh can’t wait to see this guy being all comedic in a Hong Sister’s drama!!!!
————-
Hey Javabeans,so asnwering your last topic
”Could there BE any more stills from 49 Days?”
So, yes has more^^ SBS just posted some more on 49 days site ^^
I’m for CSW and KSA…They were terrific together in City Hall…great chemistry and wonderful comedic timing…but I dream on…
Oh so yes. Im more in now than when it was for lee seung gi ( Sorry guys). Cha seung won is perfection, great comedic timing, awesome acting chops – just watch his eyes express so many emotions in cityhall – and he is rawr hot. Im sorry to so ji sob fans but i think cha seung won did a better job at emo eating. He combines aching loneliness, longing, love with a little pinch of happiness. I know the combination of emotions is just crazy but just watch him do it. Yey cha seung won…. Oh, now who will be the girl??? So hoping it will be kim sun ah but thats just wishful thinking. But kdramaoverlords….pretty please??? Promise to be good the rest of the year.
Not gonna lie… my heart totally sank when I read the headline
lol mine too. But I’ll tune in to anything that the Hing sisters write anyway.
I second that! If this replaces Royal Family, then it’ll be just in time for me to get addicted and completely fail finals! Yay!
same. i love LSG but going back to another comment on another page, he should not go through a role where the female overshadows him (especially an actress like Gong hyojin!)
personally i dont know why everyone likes CSW so much *dodges and hides* but i guess i’m kind of weird because i dont see any appeal in the older actors at all.
yay!!!!!! xD
I’M NOT HAPPY
I wanted young and adorable!
Boo-hoo….I hope this is another unfounded rumor.
To be honest, I’m sad… but at least I can keep getting my Lee Seung-gi fix with episodes of 2D1N. Either way, I will watch this since I love the Hong Sisters and every drama they’ve ever made. Should be interesting!! ^_^
You guys may not believe this, but Cha Seung Won made his career doing comedy. That’s his SPECIALTY.
CSW would not only be well suited to the Hong Sisters do; he would ELEVATE their writing in the same way a Yoon Eun Hye or Kim Sun Ah would.
If anyone saw CSW in, and I know I’m dating myself, Kick the Moon, you’ll know he can do comedy. I am very happy to see him as a goodhearted person rather than the dark bad ass he’s been portraying…..maybe they’ll get rid of the goatee and dark eyeliner. He’s already a very handsome man without the sinister look.
Omg tell me about it. I HATE THE F-CKING SOUL PATCH THING. SHAVE IT OFF!!
Glad LSG is no longer in it; I mean, I love him (SERIOUSLY. I do.) but I was looking forward to seeing what other person they would choose.
That being said. I am completely neutral on CSW JUST BECAUSE I haven’t actually seen him in anything…yeah…should get on that.
Yay! Looking forward to this!!
When I first read the headline it was like a knife to my heart! TT________TT NO LEE SEUNG-GI????
but then as I read on I was like, “CHA SEUNG-WON!?!?!”
wooohooo! LOL
If there was ever an actor to pacify my dissapointment of not having Lee Seung-gi aboard the drama, it’d be Cha Seung-won <33333
Oh, and when I read what was written, "[The Hong Sisters]… have a knack for stripping a man of his dignity, in the funniest possible ways … Jang Geun-seok in every scene of You’re Beautiful" I was literally L…M…A…O… :'D
On the one hand, boooooooooo. ;o;
On the other hand, EFF YES. This could be amazingly epic.
“Jang Geun-seok in every scene of You’re Beautiful”
-LOL, so true.
I’m not really disappointed because its nice to see a fresh face in the Hong Sisters dramas and I’m sure LSG has other projects coming his way.
Cha Seung-won is an interesting pick. I haven’t seen him in anything but he’s definitely got a tough guy aura so it will be interesting to see what the Hong Sisters have in store for him if he picks this character.
Girlfriday will be so disappointed!
YES! another Hong sister drama!
CSW…another YES! This is indeed getting interesting. I’m reminded of his City Hall days again. He can pull it off….
CSW is the one of the hottest man I’ve seen with my eyes alive………oh my god can’t wait
co sign this!
Co-signing !
I want Kim So Yun to be the main actress, she is my girl crush since Iris ^^
awww I wanted Lee Seung Gi in it
but oh wells
Cha Seung Won the badass agent in athena is fine too ^____^
There cannot be more of a divide between those two actors.
Holy hotcakes!
Cha Seung-won vs Lee Seung-gi?
This older lady’s going with the hot over the cute any day!
I was so hoping CSW would enjoy his drama time and stay for a while instead of doing films.
Dude, you speak the truth, and speak it well!
I’m actually happy about this news. I adore Lee Seung-gi, but I like it when the Hong sisters switch up their leads. It’s just how things need to go. As for Cha, I don’t know about this, but I guess my opinion all depedns on who gets cast as the has-been actress. Whatcha!
The impression I get from CSW is they could cast JunPyo’s mom, the character, and he would be able to melt her.
NOT that she isn’t pretty, and good. I just was thinking of the COLDEST character on the tv.
I still tremble thinking about the scene where he ties his jacket around KSA’s waist in CH. omg omg it was hotter than taking her clothes off.
(Must rewatch scene at lunch…)
“For one thing, they have a knack for stripping a man of his dignity, in the funniest possible ways. Jae Hee dressed up as Juliet’s nurse.”
Wait… What? I don’t remember that scene. Someone care to refresh my memory briefly?
If I remember correctly, it’s for their high school play. I forgot what episode, but I think (and don’t count me on this) that it’s from eps 2-10. I think.
And oh, the reason he did this is because Chun Hyang is Juliet and Mong Ryong doesn’t want Chun Hyang to kiss the guy who plays Romeo. So he auditioned as the nurse. And the I wouldn’t say what happened after that.
Doesn’t he also get caught and then run around in his underwear in the first episode?
i love cha seung won! honestly, lee seung gi doesn’t need another hong sisters drama, he’s already big enough! though cha seung won is already a big movie star himself, hahaha…but i love seeing him be funny!
Cha Seung Won – great!
Yoon Kye Sang – better (for me)! Where is he by the way?!! I would love love seeing him in another good & light drama.
No LSG ?? Arg~~ damn it
CSW ?? YAY !! He’s pretty funny actually.
Cha Seung-won! why not, count me in. I loved him in CH and try watching Athena just for him but a I got so disappointment coz the script is a wreck! I’m smiling just thinking abt him doing comedy again.
What in the what now? How much would I love to see Cha Seung Won in a fully comedic role.