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News bites: March 4, 2017


Yoo Ah-in, Park Jung-min, Ahn Jae-hong

  • Set in the near future, Hunting Time will be about three men who collaborate to steal a significant amount of money, and a villain in hot pursuit. Unfortunately, the casting process has been a bit hazy for the latest from Bleak Night director Yoon Sung-hyun, and a reunion with Lee Je-hoon (Tomorrow With You) may not happen after all. While Lee and his agency had been privy to early versions of the script and had been in talks with the director as of June of last year, Lee’s agency has stated that they haven’t seen a recent script and that Lee’s not currently attached to the film. Director Yoon’s prior collaborator Yoo Ah-in (in the short film Fragile) and Ahn Jae-hong (Reply 1988) have confirmed receipt of offers, but neither are locked in. On a positive note, Park Jung-min (Entourage, also Bleak Night), who’s been on a Chungmuro roll, is confirmed for a minor part in the movie. [Joongang, Ten Asia]
  • Awww, I really, really like this pairing. Kang So-ra (Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho) will star opposite Rain (Come Back Ajusshi) in Uhm Bok-dong, the film about the famous Korean cyclist that’s being produced by Lee Beom-soo (he’ll also play the star cyclist’s teacher). Lee Shi-un (W–Two Worlds) was also added recently, and once casting is complete, cameras for the film will begin rolling before mid-year. [Joongang]

  • Rain, Kang So-ra

  • The confirmation that Signal writer Kim Eun-hee’s next project Kingdom will premiere on Netflix makes me excited for the future of Korean dramas. Kim and directing partner Kim Sung-hoon (Tunnel, A Hard Day) are shaking up the scene by bypassing the major broadcasters and selecting a cutting edge platform for their zombie apocalypse drama set in Joseon, which will allow them increased flexibility with the show’s format. Kingdom will be an adaptation of the manhwa Country of God (previously published with another work as Burning Hell Country of God) and this will be writer Kim’s first time working with manhwa source material. [Asia E, Osen]
  • Congratulations are in order for the cast and crew of Defendant; they’ve earned a reward vacation to Okinawa, Japan from March 22 to 25. This past Monday’s episode garnered an impressive 23.3%, and Defendant has consistently held first place in its time slot. [MBN]

  • Hyeri, Kim Min-seok

  • The vision for this movie has gone through dramatic tonal shifts, but it’s a relief it settled on a comedic bent before producers began courting Hyeri (Entertainer) as the female lead. Kim Myung-min (Six Flying Dragons) previously confirmed he’ll star in Water Monster, formerly Jakseoui Byeon—Attack of the Water Monster, which will take place in Joseon as King Jungjong moves his palace about in an attempt to flee a monster. As a veteran of sageuk comedies (the Detective K films), perhaps Kim’s experience will lend itself to Hyeri’s advantage. She’s positively considering the role, and Kim Min-seok (Defendant) has also received an offer to play a character opposite her. Filming on Water Monster will begin before mid-year. [Asia E, News 1]
  • Voice had a mid-show director swap, and now comes the news that OCN’s upcoming drama Tunnel has replaced PD Kim Kyung-chul (who was present during readings and had directed first shoots) with PD Shin Yong-hwi. Vixx’s N has also bowed out after negotiations, and I’m hoping the comeback vehicle for Choi Jin-hyuk (Pride and Prejudice) will be able to overcome its rocky start. The OCN drama about a detective in the ’80s (Choi) who time-slips to 2016 while on the hunt for a serial killer will premiere on March 25. [DongA, Joongang]

  • Lee Sung-min, Shin Ha-kyun, Song Ji-hyo, Lee El

  • After a director switch, Baram Baram Baram is back in production. Lee Byung-heon (of Twenty) has signed on to helm, and Lee Sung-min (Memory) and Shin Ha-kyun (Pied Piper) will play in-laws. Lee’s a Jeju Island Casanova who’s having difficulty coping with aging, while Shin’s a man who used to dream of becoming a top chef but is now just a pathetic husband. Song Ji-hyo (This Week, My Wife Will Have an Affair) has been cast as Lee’s little sister and Shin’s wife, while Lee El (Goblin) will play Shin’s late-life fling who shows him a whole new world. The comedy about four men and women dreaming of escape will begin filming March 13. [Star News]
  • He’s currently busy filming Perfect Wife, but Yoon Sang-hyun will cameo in the eighth episode of Strong Woman Do Bong-soon to support his Ms. Temper and Nam Jung-ki PD Lee Hyung-min. [Osen]

  • Yoon Sang-hyun, Kim Joo-hyun, Yang Jin-sung

  • Jo Boa (The Man Living in Our House) has turned down the lead in writer Kim Soon-ok’s (My Daughter Kim Sa-wol) latest, and in her stead, Kim Joo-hyun (Modern Farmer) has been cast as the beauty school grad and entrepreneur in Sister Is Alive. This’ll be Kim’s first leading role—she won the open audition to star in the reboot of My Sassy Girl before SBS got cold feet and gave the role to Oh Yeon-seo, so perhaps this is the station’s olive branch. She’ll star opposite Lee Ji-hoon (Legend of the Blue Sea), and the weekend drama will premiere in April on SBS. [DongA]
  • Yang Jin-sung (Secret, Bride of the Century) has been cast as a quirky character in the fantasy rom-com Chicago Typewriter, which has confirmed Yoo Ah-in (Six Flying Dragons), Im Soo-jung (Time Renegades) and Go Kyung-pyo (Jealousy Incarnate) as three individuals linked by a mysterious old typewriter. Yang’s a childhood friend of Im and the daughter of a shaman. She’s also a modern-day ghost whisperer who’s in love with a ghost, and she’s studying to beome a writer. The drama will take over the slot vacated by Tomorrow With You on tvN in April. [Joongang]

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Rain and Kang Sora were paired up twice already and it fell through as far as I remember. I don't quite think they'd be that great for many productions to constantly pair them up but if this falls through again, there'd be some great irony in that.

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Wasn't it for Warm and Cozy that they were going to be paired up for and then Rain dropped out? Either way I think it's been awhile since Kang Sora has filmed anything in Chungmuro. She's got the star quality so I really hope she hits big and isn't seen as just Hyun Bin's girlfriend only.

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I thought I heard something about Yoo Ah In and bone tumor? Was that wrong?

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I read somewhere that it was benign

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OGM, NOOOOO

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The casting for Chicago Typewriter is shaping up nicely. Don't want Tomorrow to end yet, tho. :'(

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I'm happy to read song ji hyo in a new upcoming drama but what I'm really excited for is Kang sora/bi rain having their drama star on NETFLIX!!!!! Like yes Netflix has come such a long way from how it used to be I hope this will be the drama that opens door for many other writers/ directors to air there dramas on Netflix

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Yay to Netflix as well. Less worry about typical Korean ratings, more international viewership, more flexibility in writing and directing, possible new blood and crazy collaborations. What's not to love!?

So I'm really excited about Netflix getting into the game as well, but if I'm being honest, I'm a bit ambivalent at the same time. The reason for my ambivalence is really stupid and petty; K-Dramas feel like a niche genre to me, especially since few people I know have even heard of them, let alone watch, and websites like these reinforce that fact. It feels like our thing, and it's gonna kinda suck if Netflix makes a really popular one and it becomes like a Game of Thrones kinda thing. That would be amazing, I know, but kind of annoying at the same time.

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"K-Dramas feel like a niche genre to me.."

LOL, Billions of views around the world is no joke. K-Drama has far surpassed Hollywood at this point.

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*Love the name btw ?

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SJH is a movie, not drama

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No, Kang Sora and Rain are in the movie about a famous cyclist.

No one has been confirmed or offered any role, I don't think, for the drama that will be on Netflix (Kingdom) yet.

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Rise Park Jung-min <3.

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Thanks for the news that Yang Jin-sung got herself a role in a major drama.

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I got excited too. but it's not kinda major cast tho

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I miss this girl. It is OK if not a major role. She will act with solid casts and project so hopefully it means she will gain more attention in the future.

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Finally, Kim Min-seok on a lead role!

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i got excited too

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Whooa I'm so excited for Kim Joo-hyun. Didn't see her word in Modern Farmer before, but the fact that she was casted as the original lead actress in the remake My Sassy Girl from the staff and Joo Won really made me wonder how good she is. So sad that her hard-won role was given to another person. But hey.. now she's also got a new lead role. Hope it's a good one.

And she's sooo prettyyyy..

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YES to Im Soo-jung making a long awaited comeback to drama!

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Lovely choice of those two photos of Rain and Kang So Ra!

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First just gotta shout out to show my love and support:

Ahn Jae Hong, Lee El, Kang So Ra, Kim Min Seok puppa!
Yoon Sang Hyun, Go Kyung Pyo, Lee Shi Un bae!

Hyeri looks amazing with that hair color.

Kim Joo Hyung AND Lee Ji Hoon? Yas.
Is it 50 eps, though?

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*Kim Joo Hyun

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Lol, nice selection of pics for Kang So Ra and Rain, matching white jackets!

I'm happy for Lee El, I want her in more things!

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Hold up....Hyeri...and Kim Myung Min? Am I the only one who thinks that will be a crazy mismatched pairing?

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Yoo Ah In really testing the water if he receives the offers....

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Yoo Ah In isn't just "not locked in," his agency flat out said they rejected the role a year ago. It's not happening.

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Didn't know that KEH's zombie sageuk was based on a manhwa, guess I gotta go search for it now!

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