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Nine, Queen Inhyun’s Man team returns with Three Musketeers

Good news: the PD-writer team behind Nine and Queen Inhyun’s Man is returning with a new drama for cable network tvN. This time they’re setting their sights on a three-season epic, based (very, very loosely) on the Dumas novel The Three Musketeers. Only it’s set in Joseon. I said loosely, didn’t I? In Korean, Three Musketeers is translated as Trio, so it’s not altogether discombobulating; besides, I have a feeling the drama series will remind me more of Chuno than the original source material when all is said and done.

All we know for now is that the series will be a fusion sageuk about a group of warriors who travel freely between Joseon and China. PD Kim Byung-soo has a stylish track record — Vampire Prosecutor Season 1, Chosun Police Seasons 1 and 2, and of course Nine and Inhyun. Writer Song Jae-jung has more credits to her name pre-Nine and Inhyun, including Coffee House and the first season of the beloved family sitcom High Kick. They’ve become a high-profile team for tvN, which is where Three Musketeers is likely going to air, though broadcast specifics haven’t been locked down.

According to reps for CJ E&M, the sageuk is being considered as a three-season franchise, with twelve episodes a season, airing once a week. So it’s something closer to Vampire Prosecutor or other OCN shows that have been airing shorter episode counts to experiment with multi-season formats. While I can see the open-ended format working for procedurals, I am glad that this new drama project has an end date in mind. I dislike going into a show not knowing that my story will have a resolution.

The estimated budget is 12 billion won, and there are rumors that they might do an all-location shoot in China, though tvN is being tight-lipped about anything having been decided. I find it funny that we’re in this situation again with this production team after Inhyun, where their time-traveling fusion sageuk came after announcements of allll the others in dramaland at the time (to their credit, theirs was awesome). And now we’ve got Joseon Gunman slated to air and everyone’s picking up guns in Joseon (if we’re to believe Joseon musketeers yunno, carry muskets). Oh drama trends, so predictably copycatty.

The multi-season once-a-week format doesn’t have me excited, but the production team does, so I’m secretly hoping they lock in a big star who can’t commit to three years but will agree to do it if it’s just a regular 36-episode show. It could happen, right? All eyes are on the casting calls to see who gets wooed.

Three Musketeers is reportedly gunning for a July broadcast.

Via Osen, Newsen

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Once a week 36 ep? Damn! I guess it will be weeks before I watch it! I hate long once/week dramas!!

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We are just too addicted to twice a week and with a end date in mind!
But if its awesome, I don't mind waiting for 3 years for a resolution!

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Gosh, 3 YEARS for a resolution! I'd forget all the awesome while waiting!

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I'm really okay with the one episode per week and seasons format. That's how they do it in North America and it really works with the suspense and I-want-more factor - or I guess I'm just used to it.

All I can say is - thank heavens the trend is shifting! I am so sick of thrillers I may not watch another one for a few years. Plus Kdramas aren't really good at it. Hopefully we get to the more romantic-theme trend soon. I miss that so much.

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Kdramas really do not do thrillers well. I thought I was the only one.

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They do thrillers well...just not the endings. Ahem..*cough* 14 days.

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shhh we do not speak of that ending here

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"Kdramas really do not do thrillers well" if 3 Days is any indication.

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Yeah Korean movies are the ones who do thrillers well, most of them even better than Hollywood thriller movies, but dramas i have to agree they don''t do well, the stories are always compelling and starts off well but ruins everything towards the end.

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Yep, thought only me around here had that feeling. In fact does anyone here know of a good kdrama thriller? It's a mystery to me because some of their movie thrillers are so good, how can they not manage the dramas???? For the record I did watch Heartless City, Two Weeks, and almost finished God's Gift.

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For me, Mawang (The Devil) is the best kdrama thriller. And I`m satisfied with the ending too,,

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@ lixie, its obvious why they do drama thrillers different because of the target audience. None of my 20-30 year old friends watch dramas unless they are superbly trendy (in Korea) but we watch movies all the time. Think about who they are selling these drama thrillers to.

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One of the reasons I stopped watching Hollywood dramas was because it was so long and lagging and I just didn't want to devote years of my life to a series that would end up sucking in the end because they keep trying to drag it as long as possible.

I really hope kdramas don't go down that road.

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Oh my god!! This is awesome news.. I have been a fan of this director- writer combo since QIHM......This is gonna be very good year after all!!

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Ditto! QIHM and Nine are my favorite dramas, so I'm definitely going to tune into this one!

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Oh I love this team so can't wait for this especially when they have enough good planning to know that they will end in a total of 36 eps.

Gosh, I really am so fangirling about this!! *spastic hand movement*

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I loved everything I watched from them so they could create a 50-episodes-long series in which somebody* continuously reads a telephone book and I'd watch it because I know it would be awesome.

And ditto about the format, but well ^^U

*So far, I didn't know any of their main actors prior watching their series (besides Yoo In-na, iirc), so I quite don't mind their cast as long as they can act. And they can kiss. (oops, did I write that?)

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loool. Yes they can kiss!
The guy in NINE was a really great kisser

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LOL I agree wholeheartedly with your first part. I'd totally watch that just because of them!

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I don't mind waiting for an awesome drama with great plot, cast, and quality...
please feed us with a mind blowing drama~

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Why does the lead cast has to be big stars?

Give some great starving actors a chance to show their skills Korea.

I hope it is on cable. Cable at least doesn't feel that the show's success begins and ends with how famous the cast is. It would rally be a shame if that big name disease infest cable shows as well.

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Agreed. QIHM and Nine did not have A list actors in it or your typical pretty boys. I have respect for this team and hope they'll continue to give us quality dramas and give the lesser known actors opportunities to showcase their talents.

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QIHM and Nine definitely did have A-list actors or really recognizable, famous people. ..just because they are unknown to you doesn't mean that they aren't known in Korea. The actors are especially known because they were in weekend and even daily dramas...

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Love The Three Muskateers! I'm so down for it to be set in Joseon. Cast well! Cast well! CAST WELL!!!!

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Omg, seriously Nine was one of the best dramas to ever air. It kept me on edge with every episode, and the quality of the drama never degraded. And Lee Jin Wook made all my oppas look like nothing. Anything with this production team has me on board!

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Yeah, it's the rare awesomeness of Nine that is making me interested in this drama.

I don't mind the once a week – Jdramas do that all the time – though 36 episodes is looong.

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Nine is seriously awesome, a hidden gem that would have become a classic if it was broadcast on a big channel. It's such a memorable experience that now I'm applying to an internship in Nepal so that I can travel to Pokhara. haha

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Hmmm yunno if they are sticking to the Musketeers, I'd love to see Kim Woo Bin as Aramis, the charming womaniser ;P

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Aramis FTW! KWB can be very very charming. Disarmingly even.I reckon he can pull off the role. Though, I'm not sure he'll sign-up for a three season show.

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In the books Aramis becomes a priest, which would make him a monk, I guess, in the korean version. Personally, I would love to see Kim Woo Bin with his head shaved, that would be an interesting sight! :D

I'm actually amazed by how easily the story can be translated from 17th century France to Joseon. The set-up with a powerless monarch like Louis XIII and a scheming politician like Richelieu exists in like every sageuk ever. If they make three seasons, it could mean that they will cover the three books. And what do we have in the third one: a twin/secret of birth story: the Man in the Iron Mask. So typically kdrama.

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if it is like Dumas and High Kick put together then it better be as awesome as the old russian films with kick-ass songs. cmon they gotta have a song for trotting down the streets ...?

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YEEEEESS! I totally love this director and writer pairing ( or is it combo, pairing makes it sound that they're a love team). They were amazing in QIHM. I'm so glad they're making another project. We need more great writer and director team up in dramaland.

Add that to the Porthos-Athos-Aramis bromance. (Will D'Artagnan be there too?) I can't wait to see who they will cast for Aramis. I utterly adore the BBC adaptation. Hopefully this will be as awesome, if not better. :)

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after queen and nine im sold on pretty much anything they put out even if it doesn't really sound like my cup of tea.

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I do mind once a week 12 episodes for three season. I would love to have different Three Musketeers in all three season or change the other two musketeers in season two and season three. However, I thought it was Four Musketeers at one time in American version. I remember watching it a long time ago. Regardless, I wonder who will they cast. Oh by the way, I love the PD-Writer team are awesome in Nine. I have not watched Queen Inhyun's Man and I think I am the only one in the world still have not watch it. =(

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Dang it.. What I meant is watching three season 12 episodes once a week is fine with me. I am sorry. Being pregnant with baby #3 sometime make me not think straight when typing it.

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Congrats :).

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The main attractive point of Kdramas is their short format with an ending date fixed.
Having endless seasons is tedious (think Grey Anatomy, ER, Lost, etc..).

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This is so funny because I JUST started Queen InHyun's Man today. I've heard so many good things about it from here and otherwise that I figured I'd give it a try and now I see that they're working on a new show. Awesome. So are they going to be traveling between Joseon and modern day China or ancient China? Because I'd be totally up for Joseon-era Korea and whatever the Chinese equivalent of that would be China (Ming? Qing? transitioning from one to the other? I don't actually know how long the Joseon era lasted...)

I don't have a problem with the three season, 12 episode format BUT only if they were definitely doing the three seasons. I would hate for them to end one season on a cliffhanger and then we never know what happens because they didn't have enough funding or something for the next season(s). The one episode a week format isn't bad though. It just takes some getting used to.

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Three Musketeers AND (liberally interpreted) Korean history AND an awesome production team that knows what it's doing? Ugh, I /hate/ the format they have right now, but count me in all the same. >__<;;

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After watching Nine and QIHM, which I consider two of the best K-dramas I've ever seen, I promise myself that I will watch anything created by this team. What I like about their dramas are the lack of makjang elements, a coherent story that is well streamlined within its internal logic, cute rooting-worthy OTPs and especially truly intelligent male leads without being in-your-face about it. I hope the casting will go to less well-known actors and actresses because I'm tired with rotation of a few popular stars in different dramas. They did a phenomenal job in casting JHW-YIN and LJW-JYH before so I have faith.

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Part of the reason why I love this duo so much and have been looking forward to their next project is because they gives less popular stars a chance to be a part of something wonderful so I hope they cast someone lesser known as well (or, at the very least, not one of the big names) :) I trust their castings too. I mean, the fact that one of the couples they casted ACTUALLY fell in love pretty much means that they must know what they're doing haha.

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I loved both QIHM and Nine so I'm all over this. I just finished watching the BBC version of The Three Musketeers which I absolutely loved. All I need are four really hot and charismatic actors to play Porthos, Aramis, Athos, & D'artagnan plus a kick-ass Constance.

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YES. My favorite writer/director duo is returning! I have so much faith in them to deliver something awesome.

I'm getting even more excited for the upcoming year because there are a lot of premises that seem like they could be potentially great. That said, even though there are a lot of promising dramas on the horizon, there's always a possibility that a show with a wonderful premise will turn out a disappointment so I'm glad that we have this to look forward to because this duo does not disappoint!

I'm going to have fun brainstorming on who should be cast in this. Not just the leads but the side characters as well have been so wonderfully cast in their past projects and I'm looking forward to who they cast this time. Now that I think about it the writer has a nack for writing some of my favorite lead characters and casting them well. The leading girl from Coffee House is still one of my favorites and I don't think I even need to say anything about QIHM. I adored both the leads there to pieces. And then LJW was awesome as Park Sun-woo in Nine. I'm looking forward to what kinds of characters we'll be getting in this one!

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Wait. It's also slated for JULY?!!? Omg. For some reason, I thought it wouldn't be airing until the fall! Now I'm even more stoked!

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Why didn't I know that the same writer of Queen In-hyun's Man and Nine wrote Coffee House? Coffee House remains one of my favorites, and knowing that makes me love the other two even more.

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Speaking of Vampire Prosecutor, where is my vp3? C'mon, I've been waiting like 2 years.

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36 weeks?! That's like 8 months, in the best case scenario. i.e. No preemptions.

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Sounds good.

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I'm so excited to see the next project from this team. QIM was great but nine was phenomenal for me. I'm not a fan of the once-a-week airing but I can do it. I know this will be worth the wait.

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Those first 12 eps better be crack if I'm gonna stick around for two more seasons. The trio better be awesomeness to the 3rd power.

I just had a thought! What's his name just got out of army duty, HE CAN DO THIS!!!!

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I'll watch whatever this team does.

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Ooh this drama sounds pretty good, even with the different broadcast format. Excited to see the final cast.

QIHM was such a wonderful romance. <3 And Nine has been on my to-watch list for a while. Gotta check it out soon.... :)

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Ah, some exciting news. Loved Nine. A brilliantly crafted show. Enjoyed Coffee House. Had an amazing OTP. Raved over Vampire Prosecutor Season 1. Yet another brilliantly crafted show with a winsome yet-to-be OTP. Haven't watched QIHM but it has good reviews all around which I trust.

In short, the production team is a brilliant one. I just find the plot uninteresting and the formatting unappealing. Three years seems too long for a drama.....I get antsy just waiting for a miniseries to end when it gets close to its last four episodes, whether it's amazing or not.

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love love love this teams track record and one ep per week can work well . . . I reckon Ji Sung for Aramis, KWB for Dartagnan and City Hunter Ahjussi as Porthos

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All the awesomeness of Vampire Prosecutor, Queen Inhyun's Man and Nine is making me so interested in this upcoming drama! All 3 are in my favourites list so I have high expectations for this. However I don't usually watch sageuk so I'll have to see if this show can make me finish it till the end. Anticipating it! :•)

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Nine, what a memories... definitely my most fav K-Drama ever...
but sageuk, not really fond of it.. but who knows this director can change my mind...

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Since Shawshank Redemption, I can only read that name as dum @ss.

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I'm really excited by this. Queen In-Hyun and Nine are such good shows. Granted I really was not keen on the cast of Nine but both dramas emerged as top favourites. Very excited about what this will promise. Though I must say that I really, really dislike once a week format.

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I no longer watch k dramas as fervently as I used to but this duo being behind this show sure instills confidence 'cause I absolutely loved both Nine and QIHM. Also the other credits under their belt were also pretty great project. Definitely keeping my eye on this one

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Love the idea and the crew, it sounds like a good romp! Even if they throw in curlies like time-travelling, I'd still look forward to this.

The storyline lends itself well to adaptations. And even if it's a "loose" adaptation, it can't possibly be as atrocious as the remake with Chris O'Donnell and Charlie Sheen...!!

While we're at it, can we make one of the musketeers a vampire? (cos it doesn't look like we're getting Vampire Prosecutor S3 anytime soon)

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I friggin lovee Coffee House and Nine! Didnt finish Queen In Hyun's man though. Plan to finish it later.Anyway definitely a fan of this writer .So excited for 3 musketeers!

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Ooh...I loved both Nine and Queen In Hyun's Man! Sounds like it will be fun as long as they don't take things too seriously. Can't wait for the casting to be out. It is guaranteed to be one drama with lots of bromance.

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Are they trying to be Sherlock (BBC) that airs one ep per year? :))

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Soo Baek Hyang best kdrama in the past 2-3 years. good from episode 1 to 108. daily drama 30 mins each. perfect

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