Disney+ Shares Details for Upcoming Korean Drama Originals (The Hollywood Reporter)

Disney+ is dropping new details about its 2022 slate of hotly anticipated original Korean content. The streamer previously said it would release over 20 Korean titles this year, including at least 12 Korean originals. This week Disney is sharing info on three of its forthcoming Korean series and one new licensed show.

The originals include: Big Mouth, a thriller starring Lee Jong-suk and Lim Yoon-a; Soundtrack #1, a music-centered romantic drama about two friends walking the line between romance and friendship; and The Zone: Survival Mission, a survival gameshow where celebrities are challenged to break out of escape rooms. Disney+ has also picked up the forthcoming high-concept romantic drama Crazy Love, which is produced by Arc Media and begins airing on Korean broadcaster KBS next Monday. (Full summaries are below)

“We are really excited to showcase our curated collection of unrivaled Korean stories that we believe will captivate viewers globally,” said Jessica Kam-Engle, Disney’s head of content and development in APAC. “Our focus is on quality storytelling and uncovering narratives that have great emotional and cultural impact.”

Since its launch in South Korea in November 2021, Disney+ has been busily building it out its slate of bankable K-drama content, following the trail blazed by Netflix — and Squid Game — of leveraging the category’s global popularity to build subscribers throughout Asia, South America and elsewhere.

In recent months, Disney+ has unveiled its first batch of Korean shows including Grid, Snowdrop, Rookie Cops, Outrun by Running Man and Blackpink: The Movie.

Since its premiere in mid-December, Snowdrop has ranked among Disney+’s top five most watched titles in a majority of Asia-Pacific markets, and it is the streamer’s second most-watched series of all time in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The show has generated controversy within South Korea with depictions of the country’s authoritarian period, which some critics have decried as historically misleading and politically insensitive. The criticism has done little to dent the show’s success overseas though.

Disney underscored the importance of Asia-Pacific markets to its growth ambitions late last year at the first annual Disney+ APAC Content Showcase, where the company committed to green-lighting over 50 Asian originals by 2023.

More details on the latest Disney+ Korean series are below.

Big Mouth (Release date to come)
When a third-rate lawyer is forced to take on a murder case in an attempt to turn his life around, he ends up getting tangled in a complex conspiracy that threatens more than just his career. Starring Lee Jong-suk (Romance is a Bonus Book, W, Pinocchio) and Lim Yoon-a (Miracle, Exit, Hush), Big Mouth is written by Haram, in collaboration with creator Jang Young-chul and Jung Kyung-soon, and directed by Oh Choong-hwan (Hotel Del Luna, Start-Up, While You Were Sleeping).

Soundtrack #1 (Release date: March 23)
Songwriter Eunsoo asks her best friend to stay with her for two weeks to help her write lyrics for a song about unrequited love. Forced to walk the fine line between friendship and romance, the two work together to write a hit song and figure out what will happen to their friendship. Starring Han Sohee (My Name, Nevertheless, The World of Married) as struggling songwriter Eunsoo and Park Hyungsik (Happiness, Suits, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon) as her best friend Sun-woo, Soundtrack #1 is directed by Kim Hee-won (Vincenzo, The Crowned Clown, Money Flower).

The Zone: Survival Mission (Release date to come…)
Beloved emcee Yoo Jae Suk, actor Lee Kwang Soo and Yuri from Girls’ Generation are united for The Zone: Survival Mission. The show throws these celebrities into different themed rooms and virtual spaces – challenging them to overcome the unexpected and to survive in order to win. Produced by Cho Hyo Jin (Running Man, Family Outing, X-Man), The Zone: Survival Mission is pitched as a fun adventure for both viewers and participants.

Crazy Love (Release date: March 7)
When mathematical genius CEO Noh Go-Jin begins to receive death threats from an unknown person, he hatches an elaborate plan to track them down. He soon finds an unlikely ally in Lee Shin-a, an introverted, hard-working secretary who has recently been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease and who plans to take revenge for her poor treatment at his company. The  romantic comedy stars Kim Jae Uck (Her Private Life, Voice) as Noh Go-Jin, and Krystal Jung (The Heirs, Prison Playbook, Player and Search) in a story written by Kim Bo-kyum (DRAMA STAGE, Everything About My Rival).

Originally posted on " The Hollywood Reporter" by Patrick Brzeski.