Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
'Itaewon Class' to be remade in Japan
Posters for the webcomics “Itaewon Class,” left, and its live-adaptation / Courtesy of Kakao Entertainment
By Lee Gyu-lee
By Lee Gyu-lee
JTBC's hit TV series “Itaewon Class,” which adapted Kakao Entertainment's popular webcomics of the same name, will get a remake in Japan.
Kakao Entertainment announced, Thursday, that the company and JTBC Studios have inked the licensing deal with Japan's local network to make a Japanese adaptation of the series.
The Japanese remake will be co-produced with JTBC Studios, Kakao Entertainment, and its subsidiary studio Kross Pictures, along with the local network.
“The remake has confirmed top actors for the roles and will begin its production next month. It is scheduled to go on air this summer,” Kakao Entertainment said in the statement.
The 16-part series, starring the heartthrob actor Park Seo-joon and actress Kim Da-mi, revolved around an ex-convict Park Sae-ro-yi (Park), whose life changes after he is expelled from school for punching a bully and rich heir, Jang Geun-won (Ahn Bo-hyun). Following the death of his father, Park opens a restaurant on the popular Itaewon Street, going head-to-head against the Jang family's big food company.
The series, which aired in 2020, scored a 16.5 percent viewership rating with its last episode.
“The Japanese remake of 'Itaewon Class' is meaningful as it can lead to further successful cases of excellent intellectual properties (IP) going abroad,” Kakao Entertainment said. “As IP for 'Itaewon Class' holds great potential, we are in talks to produce different versions of the series in other countries as well besides Japan.”