Drama 'Princess Hours' to be remade after 18 years The poster for the 2006 drama, “Princess Hours” / Courtesy of GROUP8 By Dong Sun-hwa“Princess Hours,” one of MBC's biggest hit dramas in 2006, has been picked up for a remake. GROUP8, the company behind the success of the original drama, said it will start producing the remake in the second half of this year and air the first episode in 2024. The exact release date remains under wraps for now and an audition is currently taking place to choose the best actors. Based on a comic by Park So-hee, “Princess Hours” is a fictional story following an ordinary high school student named Shin Chae-kyeong, who happens to marry Lee Shin, the crown prince of Korea under the hypothesis that the country is a constitutional monarchy.In 2006, actors Yoon Eun-hye and Ju Ji-hoon assumed the roles of Shin and Lee, respectively, with actress Song Ji-hyo appearing as Lee's secret girlfriend, Min Hyo-rin. The 24-part series was a big hit in terms of viewership ratings. Its final episode scFeb 15, 2023By Dong Sun-hwa
'Physical: 100' most popular TV show on Netflix this week A scene from Netflix survival show "Physical 100" / Courtesy of NetflixNetflix survival show "Physical: 100" has topped a global popularity chart for TV shows available on the streaming giant, just 15 days after its release, becoming the most successful Korean TV variety show to date.First released on Jan. 24, "Physical: 100" ranked No. 1 on streaming analytics website FlixPatrol's global chart for top TV shows on Netflix on Wednesday (U.S. time).It also was the most-viewed TV show on the streaming service in 38 nations, including South Korea, Canada, France, Sweden, Singapore and Vietnam, according to FlixPatrol.It placed second in 15 nations, including the United States, Brazil, Hungary, Kenya, the Philippines and Qatar, and took third place in 11 other nations.It is the first time that a Korean variety show has topped the global chart. The past record was set by Korean dating reality show "Single's Inferno" (2021), which ranked at No. 5 in the TV show category."Physical: 100" ranked at No. 2 on Netflix's official Top 10 chart, being watched for 31.3 million hours from Jan. 30 to FFeb 9, 2023
Kim Ok-vin, Yoo Teo show enemies-to-lovers dynamic in 'Love to Hate You' From left, actors Yoo Teo, Kim Ok-vin and Kim Ji-hoon pose during a press conference for Netflix's series “Love to Hate You” in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap By Kwak Yeon-sooNetflix's series “Love to Hate You” is an unusual romantic comedy with elements of romance, drama, action and comedy. It has an enemies-to-lovers dynamic and reminds viewers that love can be found in unexpected places. Directed by Kim Jung-kwon, the upcoming series follows the loathing-to-loving sparks between Yeo Mi-ran (Kim Ok-vin), a rookie attorney who hates losing to men, and Nam Kang-ho (Yoo Teo), an uptight actor who does not trust women. As they spend more time together under contract, their initial hatred and bickering turn into romance.“'Love to Hate You' is a genre-bending drama about two quirky people, and it's really their love story. Viewers will be able to relate to the characters who eventually reconcile with their pasts and put their relationship on a new path,” director Kim said durFeb 9, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo
Netflix survival show 'Physical 100' attracts viewers with sweat, muscle and human story A scene from Netflix reality show "Physical 100" / Courtesy of NetflixNetflix reality show "Physical 100" pits 100 contestants against each other to test their physical capabilities with a simple rule: Get physical and be the last one standing for a cash prize of 300 million won ($238,890). First released on Jan. 24, the show has created huge buzz at home and abroad with its gladiator-style fighting and a setting reminiscent of Netflix series "Squid Game," having entered the platform's Top 10 non-English TV show list in over 30 nations. It presents a long list of contestants in top shape: Olympic medalists, bodybuilding champions, special forces soldiers, trainers, fitness influencers and other strong people from various fields. Jang Ho-gi, a producer at local network MBC, attributed the program's popularity to the candid human story and its artistic visuals. "I wanted to place the show between reality and fantasy. Although it deals with a realistic subject, I wanted to make contestants get confused about whether it's real or not with unrealistic visual elements," he said during a prFeb 7, 2023
INTERVIEW Tati Gabrielle, actress of Korean, African-American descent, feels proud of her heritage Actress Tati Gabrielle / Courtesy of Sony Pictures'Kaleidoscope' star talks about her identity, careerBy Dong Sun-hwaBorn to a mother of Korean descent and African-American father, actress Tati Gabrielle grew up eating kimchi, a Korean staple made of fermented cabbage, and doing taekwondo, a martial art originating from Korea.Although her environment was predominantly African American, Gabrielle and her siblings could still get a taste of Korean culture in their everyday lives thanks to their mother. At the age of four, she was adopted by an African American family in Virginia, who was neither able to speak Korean nor familiar with the East Asian country's culture. But she still embraced her roots and instilled a great deal of pride in her children toward their Korean heritage.“My mom was not able to give us Korean-specific culture and language herself, but she strongly urged us to seek and explore more of our Korean heritage throughout our lives,” Gabrielle, the star of the popular Netflix series, “Kaleidoscope” (2023), told The Korea Times. “And that'sFeb 5, 2023By Dong Sun-hwa
INTERVIEW Disney+ 'Big Bet' director on portraying greed and desire A scene from the Disney+ original series “Big Bet” / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company KoreaBy Lee Gyu-leeDisney+'s Korean original series “Big Bet” invites viewers into the clandestine world of casinos. Writer and director Kang Yoon-sung of the series “Big Bet” / Courtesy of Walt Disney Company KoreaAccording to the series' writer and director Kang Yoon-sung, the story is about money, hunger, greed and thirst. “When I describe 'Big Bet,' I always say 'this is a story about moths flying toward the lantern that is the casino. I wanted the story to be about people, fueled with their desire, flying to and burning up in the flame like moths,” he told in an interview with The Korea Times, Jan. 30.“I met a person who runs a junket room ― a gaming room rented out to private vendors inside the main casino ― and heard stories about that world. It was a world that I knew nothing about and was curious about. I thought that viewers will also feel the same curiosity. So I started digging into it.”The series directorial debut for Kang, who Feb 3, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Park Hyung-sik to play crown prince in tvN series 'Our Blooming Youth' From left, actors Jeon So-nee, Park Hyung-sik, and Yoon Jong-suk pose during an online press conference for tvN's new series “Our Blooming Youth,” Wednesday. Courtesy of tvN By Lee Gyu-leeSinger and actor Park Hyung-sik has teamed up with director Lee Jong-jae of the 2018 period rom-com “100 Days My Prince” to play the role of a royal prince in tvN's new series “Our Blooming Youth.”“I haven't done a period series for a long time (since the 2016 series 'Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth'),” Park said during an online press conference for the series, Wednesday. “When I read the script, I was captivated and was curious know what would happen next. And with director Lee, I had high hopes on how the script would turn out.” The mystery romance series, which will premiere on Feb. 6, is about a cursed crown prince, Lee Hwan, played by Park, and a female murder suspect named Min Jae-yi, played by Jeon So-nee.On the day Hwan succeeds his deceased older brother as the crown prinFeb 3, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
INTERVIEW Production company AStory expects great success with 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' franchise A scene from AStory's hit series "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" / Courtesy of ENASeries' remakes and adaptation deals underwayBy Lee Gyu-leeAbout half a year has passed since the legal drama series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” became tremendously popular not only in Korea but also globally, topping Netflix's streaming chart for non-English drama series, for nine weeks following its release in June.Lee Sang-baek, the CEO of production company AStory / Courtesy of AStoryNonetheless, the series' popularity is yet to lose its flame. With its franchise, the series' production company, AStory, is expecting to see some of the biggest success in its history, according to its CEO and co-founder Lee Sang-baek.“Our priority right now is the U.S. remake of the series, because of its huge market! There are about 10 other countries (considering doing a remake). At the end of last year, the webcomic adaptation was launched in the U.S. and we saw a positive outcome. And we also have a musical adaptation underway,” the CEO said in a recent written interview with The Korea Times.Jan 31, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
Kim Jung-hyun returns to small screen with 'Kokdu: Season of Deity' From left, actors Ahn Woo-yeon, Kim Da-som, Im Soo-hyang, director Baek Soo-chan, actors Kim Jung-hyun, Cha Chung-hwa, and Kim In-kwon pose during an online press conference for the MBC series “Kokdu: Season of Deity,” Friday. Courtesy of MBCBy Lee Gyu-leeKim Jung-hyun has made his small screen comeback after a three-year hiatus with the title role in the MBC's new romantic comedy series “Kokdu: Season of Deity.”The fantasy romance series, which premiered Friday, revolves around a god of death called Kokdu (Kim) and ER doctor Han Gye-jeol (Im Soo-hyang).Once a human in ancient times, Kokdu becomes cursed by tragic love as the god of death, coming back from the underworld every 99 years. When it's his time to visit the human world, he morphs into the body of a successful surgeon, Do Jin-woo, becomes close with Gye-jeol, a fellow hospital worker, and searches for memories of his past life to break the curse. The series is led by director Baek Soo-chan, whose work includes the mystery romance series "The Girl Who Sees Scents" (2015) and the action series "Alice" Jan 29, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
ENA's new dating show to spotlight young adult's romance From left, the cast members Seo Jang-hoon, Park Ha-sun, Chae Jung-an and Yang Se-chan pose during a press conference for ENA's new dating show “Myeongdong Sarangbang,” held in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of ENABy Lee Gyu-leeSeeking to cash in on the popularity of dating shows in the entertainment scene, ENA's new show “Myeongdong Sarangbang,” which is interpreted as “Myeongdong Dating Room,” is set out to win viewers across generations with a retro-style blind date of young adults.“I would say that if viewers start watching our show, they will fall for the pure, fresh charm of young adults these days,” Seo Jang-hoon, one of the show's hosts, said during a press conference for the show, held in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, Thursday. “There's a sense of peculiarity that will make you want to keep watching. I don't say this often, but it's really interesting. We hope to be ENA's next 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo,'” said Seo, referring to the cable network's earlier hit series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo.&Jan 27, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee
