'Spooky in Love' reimagines hit film with supernatural twist

From left, actors Ong Seong-wu, Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong pose during a press conference for the new tvN drama "Spooky in Love" at the Hotel Eliena in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The hit 2011 movie "Spellbound" is returning as a drama series. Actors Park Eun-bin, Yang Se-jong and Ong Seong-wu have teamed up to deliver tvN's occult romance "Spooky in Love," promising to blow away the midsummer heat.

The series follows a hotel heiress who sees ghosts and a passionate prosecutor who team up to solve cases together. This 12-episode drama takes a bold approach to reimagining the original film, which previously garnered massive love and starred Son Ye-jin and Lee Min-ki.

To differentiate itself from the movie, the drama completely revamps the story, keeping only the female lead's ability to see ghosts. Instead of just a strange woman who possesses a secret ability to see dead people, the female protagonist is now a hotel CEO Yeo-ri (Park), and the male lead is a prosecutor instead of a magician.

The drama also introduces a unique supernatural twist where anyone who touches Yeo-ri's hand gains the temporary ability to see ghosts. This addition paves the way for far more diverse incidents than the original film.

Park takes on the role of the luxury hotel heiress harboring the secret that she can see ghosts.

"I've always loved genre-blending stories. What really drew me to this project was how it beautifully weaves together so many different elements — putting romance at the heart of it all, but layering in the occult, collaborative investigations and even some action," she said, sharing why she joined the project during a press conference at the Hotel Eliena in Seoul, Tuesday.

Park Eun-bin, right, and Yang Se-jong are seen in a scene from tvN drama "Spooky in Love." Courtesy of CJ ENM

Regarding the adaptation, she expressed her excitement. "I actually learned the term 'transmedia' for the first time through this project, which made me really excited for this new endeavor. While a movie runs for about two hours, a 12-episode drama offers at least six times the runtime, allowing us to introduce a wealth of fresh setups," Park said.

She also paid respect to the original actor while pointing out that aside from her character's name and her ability to see ghosts, a lot has been transformed. "I focused on bringing out the unique strengths of the drama version. Audiences will be able to enjoy a much richer, entirely new experience," she added.

Yang plays Gang-wook, an ace prosecutor whose ordinary life is turned upside down after meeting Ye-ri.

Sharing a laugh at the press conference, Yang admitted, "In reality, I'm absolutely terrified of ghosts. But I thought the experience of encountering all kinds of ghosts on set would actually be quite fun, which is why I decided to take on this challenge."

Meanwhile, Ong steps into the role of Min-hwan, an ambitious hotel CEO who drives a wedge into a tense love triangle. Ong's character delivers the biggest departure from the original film, as the drama introduces a new antagonist.

"People often tell me I have a very 'wholesome' or upright look, so I really wanted to show a completely different side of myself this time. When you think of a villain, they’re the ones responsible for bringing tension to everyone else in the story, right? I found it incredibly thrilling that a character who wasn't even in the original movie could step in and bring a whole new layer of suspense to the show," Ong said.

Director Lee Min-su highlighted the emotional core of the adaptation, saying that the relationship between the two leads could deliver both chills and entertainment. "The characters have become much richer. What resonated with me the most while watching the film was the concept of 'a man in love and his ability to see ghosts.' Even though being near her puts him in danger, the core of the story is the power of love — the sentiment of 'I will stay by your side regardless.' I felt that was the most important element to capture," he said, expressing his confidence in the project.

"Spooky in Love," which will also stream on Netflix, is scheduled to premiere on July 18.