Song Kang-ho to headline TV adaptation of 'Inside Men'

Actor Song Kang-ho / Courtesy of Sublime

Actor Song Kang-ho will appear in the TV adaptation of "Inside Men," a 2015 hit film that satirized and criticized Korea's powerful elites.

Hive Media Corp, the show's production company, said Thursday it will produce the adaptation that expands the universe of the film "Inside Men" into a series.

"'Inside Men' (working title) is a series that weaves together events and characters spanning the 1980s and '90s, telling the story of insiders. In the drama, Song Kang-ho will play the role of Lee Kang-hee, a character who organizes and sets up the power dynamics of Korea," the company said.

It added that the drama version is currently in pre-production, aiming to begin filming next year.

Song has appeared in numerous hit films such as "Parasite" (2019), "A Taxi Driver" (2017), "The Attorney" (2013) and "The Host" (2006), playing a critical role in the renaissance of the Korean film industry.

He won best actor at the 75th Cannes Film Festival for his role in the 2022 film "Broker."

Actor Baek Yoon-sik plays Lee Kang-hee, a newspaper editorialist, in the 2015 film “Inside Men.” Content production company Hive Media Corp said Thursday that actor Song Kang-ho will play the role of Lee Kang-hee in the TV adaptation of the movie, which will be released through a streaming platform later. Courtesy of Showbox

Based on cartoonist Yoon Tae-ho's incomplete comics of the same title, the movie version was a major box office success for an R-rated film, with the original version and director's cut attracting over 7 million and 2 million viewers respectively.

The film enraged audiences with its portrayal of politicians, journalists of an influential newspaper and businessmen conspiring to seize social power.

In this drama version, which will start filming in 2025 and be released on a yet-to-be-determined streaming platform, Song will play Lee Kang-hee, a newspaper editorialist.

Director Mo Wan-il, known for the 2024 Netflix drama "The Frog" and the 2020 JTBC drama "The World of the Married," is set to direct the drama version. The screenplay will be written by Lee Ki-cheol, who penned "Escape from Mogadishu" (2021), "Assassination," (2015) and "The Thieves" (2012).