Healer Screenwriter Song Ji Na Prepping K-pop Castaways on a Deserted Island Drama Gaia
This is super interesting drama development news, and is probably nearly as broad in production scope as Kim Eun Sook‘s upcoming disaster zone medical drama Descendants of the Sun. Healer screenwriter Song Ji Na is developing her next drama called Gaia (as in the Greek mother goddess of earth) inspired by the 1888 novel by French writer Jules Verne called Two Years Vacation. The novel is about a group of school boys stranded on a deserted island and how they band together to overcome adversity, which sounds very uplifting as long as we avoid thinking about William Golding’s 1954 dystopian take on the same scenario with Lord of the Flies. Song Ji Na’s Gaia will be set in a deserted island and cover all the things that happen when a plane crash lands there, inside carrying a fallen boy band member dealing with a plagiarism scandal, a girl group, an actor, a bodyguard, an entertainment reporter, and a flight attendant. The story will deal with how they survive in the wild, and through the adventure and adversity learn the meaning of love.
Gaia has already found a broadcast network on MBC in the first half of 2016, and will be a joint Korean-Chinese co-production between SM C&C and China’s DMG Company. I think Song Ji Na is really reaching high with this production in terms of the locale, and to make filming feasible Gaia will reportedly be pre-produced in advance like so many upcoming K-dramas on the horizon. Song Ji Na’s most recent drama may be Healer, but her famous works include Sandglass, Eyes of Dawn, The Legend, Faith, and What’s Up, so I have faith (har har) and is willing to give her the benefit of the doubt that she can do a K-drama version of Lost populated by K-pop types.
This kind of ambition usually scares me in Kdramas. But in this writer’s hands I’m intrigued and game to give it a try. She certainly has some guts! Can’t wait!
Exactly, and I’m not only in on this one, I’m eagerly looking forward to it~
My heart sank hearing MBC and I’m dubious about the K-C co-production (since when have those ever been memorable?), but I have faith in Song Ji Na too, and as long as they cast people who can actually act, I’m all good! Whew.
*people who can actually act, not just pretty wooden idols
I read a lot of Twilight fanfiction that is similar like this. Survival and romance ~
A girl group and a boy band on an inhabited island? I’s like a cross-over of PG-friendly Blue Lagoon and Lost, with a bit of bible (Noah’s Ark) mixed in.
Other than the ubiquitous KPop nonsense, the premise sounds pretty interesting. Fingers crossed!
What a waste of good talent. Another high school drama.
Whoaa..as soon as I read the storyline, I was thinking about Lost too.. Purgatory, anyone?
I like her writing – please cast ji chang wook again
I like her writing
It’s thoughtful (rare in these days), well executed and good characters (anyone that doesn’t do the typical candy brainless oh I need help to breathe type of heroine takes the cake)
I will call this ‘Inkigaia’. Because it looks like an attempt to appeal to young Chinese fans of popular music. And what better than topless idols running around angsting all over the place on an island?
With another production company, no China baiting and characters not specifically designed for fanservice, it would be an interesting idea. As things stand, I’m out. I hope the writer’s reputation can leave this series unscathed. Even good writers (which I hear she is) can’t do much when the money givers have “plans”.
Orion, you are pretty spot on!
my thoughts exactly.
and let’s not forget what a mess what’s up was. faith was pretty polarizing too, and not a megahit. (especially compared to her earlier works) I remain wary
Sounds more like Flight 29 down than Lost.
To say that I adore her mind is an understatement. Just from Healer, I loved that she used opposites of cliches to develop the characters and the story line. So, I’m going to be an optimist about this upcoming project. Charm me like you did with Healer, Song Ji Na ssi. Casting Ji Chang Wook would be a plus.
¡I love your website!
NGL I’ll totally watch this. Healer was one of my favorite dramas of the last year so I’m here for this. Okay since SM C&C is co-producing this who from SM will show up? They’re totally gonna throw a member of Exo or Red Velvet in here.
Do Kyung Soo… it will be great if he get cast. he is so good and talented
While Healer introduced me to Song Ji Na, I believe that Story of a Man remains her best work to date, and it saddens me that we will never see a sequel to it, at least not with the original main cast. She has a gift for breathing life to characters who are so much more than what they seem and evoke a myriad of emotions in me, which is a clear testament to just how invested they make me feel. As such, although I’m not exactly sure what to expect of the premise of her new drama, but with her penning the script, I am definitely more than willing to give it a try.
Healer and Story of a Man are two deep, multi-layered and courageous series. The latter cannot have a sequel with the same cast, since the main actor took his life a few months after it aired.
I have high hopes for this drama, too, just because Song Ji Na will be at the steering wheel.
I liked Healer and What’s up ! She really developped all the characters and not only the male and female leads. I would love a prequel to Healer with the group of friends ( but the end would be sad…)
Seems refreshing though I can’t visualize it yet. And the first thing I thought of was Lord of The Flies lol. They’re not gonna kill each other, right? Har har.
Anyways, I’m in as long as they do a great job casting. Having idol characters doesn’t mean you really have to cast idols(no offense, really).