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Comedy film franchise Marrying the Mafia gets drama remake


Jung Jun-ho, Lee Beom-soo

There’s a new drama in the works that’s being called a movie adaptation of the family comedy Marrying the Mafia (or more literally Family’s Honor), the ten-year-long franchise that’s put out five films from 2002 to 2012. It’s a family-friendly series that basically does variations on the first movie: Jung Jun-ho (Mama) plays a law-school-educated elite businessman who ends up marrying into a mob family because of a night spent with a mafioso’s daughter. Comedy ensues. The second, third, and fourth installments focused on a different mob family, and then the fifth movie came back to the original family along with a younger generation.

Taewon Entertainment, the production company behind the movies, is producing a drama called The Man With Two Faces, which in some reports is based on the original film franchise, and in others only loosely associated. In any case we’re looking at a drama about a mob family, and it’s probably going to diverge from the general plotlines of the movies.

The series is reportedly courting Jung Jun-ho (of movies 1 and 5), Lee Beom-soo (Triangle), Shin Hyun-joon (Oohlala Spouses, also of Marrying the Mafia 2, 3, and 4), Infinite’s L (She’s So Lovable), and Yoo Sun (Horse Doctor) to star. Jung Jun-ho and Shin Hyun-joon are obvious choices since they headlined the movies; Lee Beom-soo would be great since he’s at his best in comedy, though I don’t know how his schedule would shake out with his new JTBC drama Last, which is due to air in July.


Shin Hyun-joon, L

It’ll be a series about a mobster father juggling a life of crime while still having to do normal dad things, like deal with grandparents, a wife, and a prickly teenage son. He has to bring home paychecks and be responsible for taking care of his family, and meanwhile he lives this other life as a scary gangster in order to make ends meet. The teenage son will have a Romeo-and-Juliet love affair, which I’m guessing means that he falls in love with a rival mobster’s daughter.

The drama is hoping to land a spot on MBC’s fall schedule as its October Wednesday-Thursday series, though MBC has issued statements that nothing has been decided yet. They’re also looking at the webtoon adaptation Michelin Star about star chefs and restaurateurs for the same timeslot, so it might come down to securing a cast.

Whether or not they diverge greatly from the movies, I can see the formula being adapted to television quite easily, and could even see it being a weekend family drama if they played up the in-law dynamics. I sort of miss goofier dramas like this filled with misfits and losers (Bad Family is an old favorite, though perhaps the more recent Yoona’s Street is the nearest comparison), but could also see it taking a much darker approach to the beleaguered mob boss’s story. Not everyone can be Tony Soprano, not that it won’t stop mobsters from trying.

The Man With Two Faces is aiming at a fall broadcast on MBC.

Via Star News, Newsen, TV Report

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Oh! This sounds like a genius idea! I can't wait.

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hope this is a good one. looking forward to it.

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So cute... I have seen the movie with Kim Jung Eun as the daughter and its simply adorbs how her brothers and father tried to get her married to a decent man.

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I only hope this will remain in the comedy genre instead of turning into another crazy melodrama...

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"Marrying the Mafia" was one of the very first kmovies I've watched (along with Musa, The Warrior) when I hadn't known korean films even existed - I had honestly thought I was watching chinese movies at that time- let alone dramas.
Their combination is indeed very welcomed and refreshing. I'll be celebrating my years of watching k-entertainment! I can't wait ;-)

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Didn't catch the 1st one (or last) w/ Jung Jun-ho (but saw his "My Boss/Teacher" gang film series), but did see the 3 w/ Shin Hyun-joon (who is also adept at comedy) and are silly fun.

If they keep it more comedy-centric (rather than romance-centric), should be entertaining.

Lee Beom-soo would also be a good choice for the lead.

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I love Jung Jun-ho! And I would love to see a remake of this kind of movie if it can fill the void that dramas like Bad Family have left behind :)

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If it wasn't Taewon, I might just find the idea fun. I mean it is fun. But messing with a beloved movie series and also with this production company? I don't know... We'll see.

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I was so confused for a lot of the movies - it was dark, and there were forks being stabbed into hands, a guy who loved the girl who would just constantly drink at the pojangmacha, and lots of slapstick. It was supposed to be comedy but I was more ????????

I can see this working for a drama though. And L really keeps getting the projects huh.

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Can someone stop L from acting please? He's nothing but a pretty face... If they really want a pretty face, there's so many pretty faces out there that can act

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Yes please! If they want the 'idol power' they should choose other idol that can act

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The biggest and possibly most unsolved problem with idols is their public image. It's practically impossible for any of them to act as any other professional actor would do and keep their idol-status at the same time - even if they're gifted enough.
There are probably quite a few writers out there who have faced the endless restrictions (maybe imposed by the idols' agencies) when those are part of any given cast, mostly on tv series.
I think Lee Joon was smart enough to retire from this particular system for good before completely devoting himself to acting.

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Sungjae on the other hand make himself known by his acting… A lot of people don't even know that he's actually an idol and now started to take interest in his group too… Same with Im Siwan. Well, why didn't they cast Siwan instead of L. Both got pretty face

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It's a bit more complicated than that. Sometimes people like L get cast to satisfy certain investor demands ("China wants a Hallyu star!"), as part of packaged casting (quid pro quo forced by a bigger star's management in exchange for his casting), or to secure a timeslot. It's not like they'd choose him because he fits the role...

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I like.

C'mere, drama. :)

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my bias is "L", but I don't know how to feel about him getting casting offeres non-stop- or even accepting them. His acting (if u can even call it that) is quite bad and makes me cringe inside,.. but oh well let's seen and wait maybe, no hopefully, he improved.

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Please cast Kim Su Mi too. This drama will not be the same if the gangster mother/halmoni not in this. Or maybe they can bring everyone from the series to this drama.

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I can totally see Lee Beom-soo in this, playing it up for the laughs!

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While I love Lee Beom-soo (duhhh, he's the Ahn Joong-geun of my life, soul, spirit and the Lee Gang-mo of my heart and the Yoobang of my eheheh) the selling point of this pitch is SOLELY JUNG JUN-HO. I looooooooooooove Jung Joon-ho too much. Oh make it happen, please-- with Jung Joon-ho top-billed; Lee Beom-soo 2nd billed.

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possible weekend mafia comedy? nice!

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What a cast! Count me in.

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Hope they will get the slot,i wanna see this as a drama so badly!

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I love mob movies and this sounds like it'll be so funny. I hope it gets the timeslot! (Also, I love Lee Beom-soo and L.)

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