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Drama version in the works for fantasy romance The Beauty Inside

A drama version of the 2015 romance-melo film The Beauty Inside has been announced, and while that alone is enough to perk up my ears in interest, there’s also the added detail that the fantasy premise will swap genders for the drama. That is to say, while in the movie Han Hyo-joo was the woman who fell in love with the man who woke up in a new body every day, in the drama the heroine will be the body-swapper.

I’m both intrigued by this switch and a little wary, because I thought the film worked so well with the way it presented the problem. I went into the film expecting a light, fluffy romance but was pleasantly surprised to get something moving and introspective, and loved how the heroine fell for all the many different faces of the hero (which included Park Seo-joon, Chun Woo-hee, Lee Dong-wook, Lee Beom-soo, Ueno Juri, Go Ah-sung, Lee Jin-wook, and Yoo Yeon-seok). Moreover, I thought it was very realistic and thought-provoking the way that Han Hyo-joo also struggled and suffered with a lover who never looked the same, particularly when society essentially slut-shamed her for being with a different guy each time. I don’t think that kind of social commentary works quite as well with the gender reversal, though I’m willing to see what the drama does with it.

I do think the premise, whether featuring a man or a woman at the center, is something that could translate really well to drama form, and I’m particularly curious to see how they’ll handle the revolving door of actresses to play one person. And, of course, casting of the hero will be crucial to anchoring the whole thing. (Start up your fantasy-casting prayers now!)

Writing will be Im Meari, who has worked with writer Kim Eun-sook (The Lonely Shining Goblin) in the past; her credits include Descended From the Sun. The drama is currently in the casting process and is aiming for an early 2018 broadcast.

Via Joongang

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kinda sad that i wont get to see new oppas every time the character changes bodies. But, who knows? i could end up discovering new unnies and noonas! anyway i hope they execute it well! I loved the movie. oh I also hope the drama has a han hyo joo cameo.

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Hahahaha my thoughts exactly. 'One Oppa per episode' is what I was hoping for. But I guess it'll be one unni per episode.

Still excited about the project though. ^^; hoping to see Jung Hae In in his first lead role in a drama ^^, or perhaps Ryu Jun Yeol or Lee Seung Gi (but he's in Hwayugi so that's unlikely :().

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Yes, Jung Hae In please. I loved him in Blood and recent While You Were Sleeping.

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Actually in the movie he changed into both male and female bodies (different ages too)...so who knows how they'll do it in the drama! ;)

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I'll be extremely surprised if they have her change into a man and handle it well without making it into a huge joke.

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Exactly! Woo-jin literally changed into a new face and body every. Single. Day. If he fell asleep, he’d wake up as a man, a woman, a child, (I can’t remember if he was ever an old person). Race and/or ethnicity didn’t matter. I wonder how the drama’s gonna tackle it. I think they might set up more rules than the movie did. Either way, I’m so excited!

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Was actually hoping for a Han Hyo Joo/Lee Jong Suk reunion even just for one episode....

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Me, too. Honestly, if they reunited for a 15-second commercial for windshield wipers, I would be happy!

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Lol, this is so specific!

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Yes to new unnies and noonas! I’ve got a boatload of faves, so I’d love to see all of ‘em getting a chance to shine (in no particular order–except the first gal): Kim Go-eun (ultimate unnie), Gong Hyo-jin, Lee Sung-kyung, Won Jin-ah, Park Shin-hye, Park Bo-young, Ha Ji-won, Kim Seul-gi, Bae Doo-na, Han Groo, Park Eun-bin, Han Ye-ri, Choi Ara, Song Hye-kyo, Kim Ji-won, Lee El, Jung Ryeo-won, Jung So-min... and like, probably a whole bunch more that I’m forgetting to mention. While I’d like to see lesser known actresses get an opportunity to shine in this project (thank goodness for Just Between Lovers for letting me find the gem that is Won Jin-ah), I also wouldn’t mind each episode hightlighting one actress/face. GAH, the possibilities are endless! Literally! And yeah, a Han Hyo-joo cameo’s kinda a must.

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Kim Joo Hyuk :(

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(Start up your fantasy-casting prayers now!)

I would like all my faves that have been as second leads will cast in this drama. *grins*

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This was the first k-movie I ever saw, and I loved it. Now that I’m familiar with the actors, I should do a rewatch. I don’t know what to think of the gender reversal. I agree with @javabeans, and thought one of the reasons it worked well was because she was a woman—maybe because I could identify with her. And yes, all the eye candy, I think I’ll miss that.

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Never liked this premise so drama is a total no

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Can we just keep the original integrity of the movie and have it as the male being constantly switched? And can we keep Han Hyo Joo as the heroine, pretty please? I've not watched this movie to this day yet--- but it's on my "To Watch" list!!--- but I've seen Han Hyo Joo do introspective (see movies: "Love 911" with Go Soo, "Always" with So Ji Sub) and I love her in it <3

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I'm not quite sure who is suitable to be the male lead for this.... what age the lead should be? late 20 or early 30? Is it okay to wish Jung Hae-in? I wish to see more of his acting and his visual would be a bonus!

On the other note, I'm so excited to see the many cameos appearances of ladies! I'm hoping one of them would be queen jeon doyeon and queen kim hyesoo! If only Kim Taeri wasn't filming for Mr Sunshine, I'd like to see her as female lead.

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I'd rather they explored the gender fluidity of the transforming character than indulge people in a series of oppa cameos, because I feel it's interesting to discuss gender issues- but not in a Kdrama sadly, it seems they're not ready for anything that's even remotely hinting at same-sex relationships. The series of cameos would be interesting to look out for, though, I wonder if it'll be like 1-2 people per episode in the role of the same character.

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I just came here to say this. One of my favorite aspects of the movie was how the lead could wake up to be literally anybody, male or female, young or old, and yet he was still completely himself. So much of the time anything non-heteronormative is played for laughs in Kdramas, so it'd be nice to see it dealt with in a sensitive, empathetic way.

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Huh, I was really pumped up for this until that last paragraph. I mean, the writer might be good (and i have nothing against her), but those credits dont really incite confidence.

Anywaaaay, fantasy casting! Ryu Jun-yeol please! I am itching for him to be back on my screen!

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he's such a doll, love him!

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Hmm that sounds so interesting. This movie was so~o good. I wonder how it will transform on the small screen. I think I would prefer it keep the same set up with the main character being male and the gf dealing with the many changing faces of the guy as it would deal more with society and how they view a girl who keeps changing her bf. I would like them to go more in depth on that especially for Korean society.

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I'm gonna be real, this drama needs a strong writer and a strong male lead (if they were to say Han Hyojoo's character were a man instead). Because the premise totally sounds meh, but The Beauty Inside is one of the best Romance K-movie I've ever watcher *sniffs sniffs*

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I thought this was about Yoo Yeun Seok's new drama news. I am disappointed.
Any way all the best for the new drama....

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The gender reverse is too bad! The societal pressure is what made the movie interesting. From A male's perspective it could work as a comedy but mehhhh.

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I think there's societal pressure either way since the "heroine" can turn into either sex as well if it's like the movie.

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I want Park Seo Joon as the male lead

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And Jisung to cameo as female lead lol.

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Ahn Yo Na deserves to comeback in the dramaland. She's my most beloved character ever.

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Intriguing. The gender reversal puts a much different dynamic though. As for it being a 16 hour drama vs a 2 hour movie, that too might prove challenging. It will be hard to maintain an introspective and sensitive storyline for that amount of time and expect the audience to wait 8 weeks for some kind of conclusion. The concern being that it ends up being farcical and played for comedy too much in order to maintain audience interest.

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I think the movie gave a suffice time to explore through the different façades of the lead's hosts, but I think the drama length would give more time to show the hijinks the female lead experiences in a different body each time.

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On one hand, I liked the movie (shamelessly) because there was so much eye candy. On the other hand, I felt like the resolution wasn't very satisfying, so I hope the drama would supplement it. I think Chun Woo-hee, should also play the drama lead because she really showed the earning of the male lead to reunite with Han Hyo-joo's character, regardless of what body he is in. And I would like more Do Ji-han please teehee. I don't know why but Ri-on and Yo-na 's coffee shop scene from "Kill Me, Heal Me" comes up to mind when I imagine the hijinks of the leads when the hero meets heroine in a male body 😆
I heard that an American film adaptation was also confirmed and Emilia Clarke is going to star as the female lead.

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I hope the scripts is better this time around. Hey screenwriters, time skips don't solve actual problems.

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What I'm curious about is the interactions between the female lead and her friend. I remember in the movie the friend played by Lee Dong-hwi wanted to sleep with the lead in his drunken stupor when the latter became Park Shin-hye for one day. So it would be hilarious if the female friend was mesmerized by the lead's handsome male hosts.

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I read at soompi that it's gonna be 120 female body swappers but no males. So I guess we won't get to see that golden scene's remake.

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Seriously, WHAT. I really wish the news is not real 😑 I don't see the point and even the fun factor of the remake if the screenwriter is going for that plan. I know that Korea is still a conservative country and TVs showcase less "risky" subjects compared to films, but seriously, it looks more like the adapation's sole purpose is to make a profit. And while the film is not overly political but making the female lead stick to her own gender every day does not create angst and I can't picture a central conflict of her relationship with male lead or their uniqueness. Sorry for my angry rant by the way 😅

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Why be sorry your angry rant is similar to mine 😉 I felt the same. Anyways, seems like I was wrong about the 'only female' part. It said the female protagonist will swap bodies 120 times. So I guess we CAN see some oppas appear as well (hopes for Seo kang Jun AGAIN!) 😊

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I think it'll more fun with gender swap, i can't wait to see actors acts like a woman haha

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Remakes, Remakes And Remakes.
No more original ideas anymore

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I hope Korean dramas (and films) do not go to the slump route like the film industry in Hollywood. I'm seeing more and more remakes (though it does not mean all of them are bad).

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the premise is good and would excellent if done right. I liked the onset twist, thus setting apart the drama from the film, though not entirely. A lot of actors & actresses would participate in this drama so this will be a riot :) Wow! 2018 would be very tiring for me with all out fantastic series in the line.

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Because I already know that Lee Jongsuk wouldn't be able to star in this drama because he will be away for military service soon, I'm just going to fantasize him being the hero while for the heroine there are Lee Boyoung, Han Hyojoo, Park Shinhye, Kang Sora, Park Boyoung, Park Seyoung, Suzy, Park Jinjoo, Kim Woobin, Yoon Kyunsang, Jung Haein and Yoon Sanghyun.

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Lol. That would be funny!

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they should change the entire cast... because i cant stand seeing every original cast without joohyuk :(

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Why that spin off though?? I'm as disappointed as the 2D1N cast when they saw Cha Taehyun's kids instead of Han Hyo Joo. The balance between all the male and female bodies won't be the same for 120 female ones. I can see the chaos it'll cause not only for the male protagonist but us viewers also. I'll still give it a go as I just Love the movie. I still long for a Seo Kang Jun and Han Hyo Joo drama just for the visuals 😄

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Who I reeeeeally want for this is Lee Dong-wook!! How long have I not seen this guy? Yes Goblin was this year but it feels like ages ago somehow. Plus he does yearning and so-in-love so damn well.

If that were to happen, can we get Yoo Inna, Lee Da-hae, Kim Sun-ah and Kim Go-eun to be amongst the many women taking up the role? And more importantly, can there be an episode (or 16) of Gong Yoo taking over the body? Because I'd give up my soul for that LOL.

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HEAR ME DRAMA GODS:

Male lead:
PARK BO GUM - mainly for selfish reasons because I need him back on my screen. (He’ll no doubt kill it in this role though!)
Hyun Bin
Yoo Ah In
Lee Jun Ki

Female lead: She’ll change but I’m assuming there’s going to be one “main” face/actress playing this role? I’ll pick Kim Ji Won for this. Her & PBG almost happened for MDBC but it wasn’t meant to be then. This is their time now 👌🏾

Moon Chae Won -
IF the actor is older. Would love to see her in a role like this plus this drama has the potential to be a hit (if done right) and it’s about time she picks up a good project again 😭

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In the movie, there was no "original" and we never got to see how the main character looked like before the change. Still, we could hear "his" voice narrating some of the scenes. So I guess that the drama would feature the female lead's voice to showcase her identity amid the different hosts.

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It was a good movie.
It has the perfect casts.
Why the gender swap?? Seeing the leading male with different females each time will be too....generic, lack of punch. Plus, in the movie, the male lead was always the one who find the female lead (and rightfully so), while with the swap, the dynamic will be different. A guy will likely be happy seeing different female everytime, while a female will likely feel insecure if she's approached by different male everytime. With the swap, the drama just wont feel the same. It will forsaken the problems addressed by the movie (with people's judgement towards female), and it will likely be comedic instead of contemplative. :(

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Fantasy-casting you say! Hmm...Does my profile-pic gives you a hint??
☝️
😉

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I have so many thoughts about this! Please bear in mind that I have more experience with Western media than Asian, so a lot of it is biased.

1) Same-sex relationships. One commenter said that they aim for 120 actresses playing the female bodyswapper. Which makes me wonder, are they dropping the idea that they can change into other sexes? My biggest worry is that they will mention or use actors once or twice purely for comedy's sake. The movie did not touch how society reacted to her dating what they thought was another woman, but she still was at peace knowing that the man she loved could be a woman. I don't want it turned into a joke, especially since, with the added time, they could really go into talking about how it makes them feel, and touch upon how society regards them, etc.. Heck, they could even use this to make the male lead, or a side character, realize their bi- or pansexuality.

2) Gender. I also worry about how much comedy will be made into the bodyswapper changing sex if that happens. In the movie he identified as a man but was comfortable whenever he woke up in a woman's body. Unless the drama is about the bodyswapper's first years I don't want her to fuzz about it. ALSO, with the added time, I would love if they went into flashbacks during her first experiences as a man, and the confusing feelings she would get, and there could be talk about how it feels to be in the wrong body.

3) Body positivity. The movie had its point that everyone changes all the time and that the most important thing is that we stay true on the inside, as well as the pressure women get regarding dating. Since that will change by gender swapping the leads in the drama, I hope it will take the opportunity to touch on body positivity for women. One of the things that kind of bugged me about "Go Back Spouses" was that the wife was so hung up about looking beautiful and young, as if growing old is a shameful sin, and that was HER angst compared to her husband facing humiliation at work for the family. And so many dramas seem hung up on looking thin as a stick as well. I hope the drama's bodyswapper, and the male lead, will be and grow comfortable with the fact that she will change into EVERY person, and some days she will be young or thin or pretty, whatever, and other days she will be old or fat or ugly, and that is okay. Like how I want flashbacks to how the bodyswapper came to terms that she would sometimes wake up in a man's body, she is also comfortable with whatever look she has, and the male lead will accept that too. If the drama will still be about the beauty INSIDE, the entire meaning of the story will be lost if all the 120 people the bodyswapper changes to are conventionally attractive, noodle-thin models except when they are making an unfunny homophobic, fatphobic or ageist joke.

4) Ethnicity. I really want to see how they handle that. Since they have more time, maybe they will explain more how bodyswapping works. Why is...

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(cont.) Why is becoming a foreigner rare? Is it because there are few foreigners in South Korea (if that is the rule, I'm very interested in how the American remake will handle it)? Is it because bodyswappers have a tiny bit of foreign ancestry? I would also like it if they included actors from all over the world, if only because it would be fascinating to see so many different people portray the same Korean woman and all her body language and cues! If it had been a high-budget drama they would have hired one never-seen-on-screen "original" actress that showed her body language that all the others would then copy. What a practice in body language and acting that would be!

5) Female friendship? I am a sucker for relationships between women, especially just them supporting one another. The latest week in "Because This Life is Our First" really reminded me with how Su-ji talked with the bra designer, and how the female rival helped the lead. I really hope they will aim for a good best friend for the bodyswapper, one who is open and joking about her changes like the male bestie in the movie was. …Maybe less pervert, but definetely something like "Yo, since you're a hot guy, can you pretend to be my boyfriend so I can show those skanks that I'm better than them?" or something.

6) Equal screen time! For goodness sake, I hope the drama remembers to give both leads equal importance! "While You Were Sleeping" ended up feeling like Jae-Chan's drama with a romantic support character, and I still remember how "Beautiful Gong-Shim" ended up making the title character almost an after-thought compared to the two male leads and their conflict. The biggest thing I think would make me forgive all of "Scarlet Heart Ryeo" would be if the drama was actually more about the female lead and how she experiences being back in time, instead of just being a background observer gaping behind the men's conflict. I am always afraid that a romantic drama that starts with the female lead meeting the male lead will end with the male lead taking all the glory because he is the one with all the angst and importance while the female lead got her angst resolved/forgotten and so is just there to support the male lead (my current fear is that "Because This Life is Our First", which so far has done a good job balancing the leads' conflicts and importance, will betray me in that regard too).

I am not sure HOW they would do it, but I would not be surprised if they included a murder mystery that the bodyswapper assists in by using one of her bodies, and the mystery is all centered on the male lead, and at some point the bodyswapper is kidnapped and the male lead must use all his character development to save her. Which could work, but… maybe it is because I am a woman myself, I just don't want a drama about a couple to become a drama about a guy with his love interest.

(Yes I know the movie began all about the male bodyswapper and then became more about...

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cont.#2)
(Yes I know the movie began all about the male bodyswapper and then became more about the female lead's feelings and angst. I still think it did a good job balancing it out so that we felt like both were important to the story from their introduction to the end.)

7) I ended up loving the movie despite my doubts, so I really want this drama to be good. I'm just nervous because it could easily go wrong.

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i say Kang Dong Won for the lead man. then i won't care about anything else.
; )

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I'm excited for this and glad it's still happening. I agree that the dynamic will be different with the body swapper being female, but maybe it'll give us a different and interesting dynamic?

I'm concerned about two things though. Like others have commented I wonder if they'll have her body swap to a guy. I hope they do, but the again I also don't want them to because I don't have faith that they'll take it seriously. I could see them playing it for some cheap bromantic laughs. I'm also unsure about the writer.

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It is a little bit off the topic but after reading this post I downloaded The Beauty Inside and god! I cried my eyes out•.• Han Hyo-joo once killed me while watching Always and now, AGAIN.. sigh

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Sorry, but NO.

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I feel like the drama is going to ruin it. The movie is already flawless and beautiful itself. Why make a drama of it in the first place?

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Does this really need another project? There's already the USA version too. It's done to death.

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The role reversal will be interesting. I loved the Korean and American versions of this.

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