Screenwriter Kim Eun Sook Confirms Next K-drama Mr. Sunshine Set in Early 1900’s Korea
I’ve been eager awaiting what ratings queen screenwriter Kim Eun Sook has in store for her next K-drama after her last fantastic foray with Goblin. I love how hardworking she is, always following up quickly lest the iron heat of popularity cools down from her last drama. She’s confirmed that time and genre of her upcoming K-drama – it’s tentatively called Mr. Sunshine and is set in Korea around 1905, quite a specific time period which is very late Joseon era but prior to the Japanese colonial occupation. Kim Eun Sook says that the time period is rarely portrayed in television or movies and doesn’t have strong symbolic elements so she’s tackling something that hasn’t really been done before. Mr. Sunshine is scheduled to film later this year for a spring 2018 premiere, and she will be working with PD Lee Eun Bok again who directed her Descendants of the Sun and Goblin.
Mr. Sunshine will tell the romance of a Joseon era soldier who leaves on a US ship in the late 1800s and returns to Korean as a US soldier in 1905, and there embarks on a love with a yanban daughter from the late Joseon era. Kim Eun Sook explains that she’s always had this story in mind and had the outline written sometime ago, tackling an era not about the independence movement but prior about an era that doesn’t have much documentation. She’s working hard to finish the script so she can start casting as she has someone in mind for the male lead requiring a very wide breath of emotional abilities.
The title “Mr.Sunshine” feels out of place for a drama established in that time period setting. But it’s a tentative title, hopefully she could come up with something more fitting. Am not a fan of Kim Eun Sook but I like that time setting. I wish for something like HK drama “Shanghai Bund”.
Ooooh! I’m more interested in who’s the writer’s next lead actor is!! =P
I have a gut feeling it’s going to be Kim Soo Hyun.
If he takes it he’ll probably get criticized since he should be enlisting
I trust that her work will always be very interesting. And after Gong Yoo, I’m looking forward to the next actor she casts.
I’ll never understand why Koreans still watch her dramas when her writing is terrible. She is saved by her actors. Her dramas are also always male-centric and her female leads are a setback to women in film. Mr Sunshine… I read from somewhere else that it’s a romance story between a soldier and a girl of noble birth… pffft her writing style remains the same, her forte, which is writing cheesy romance, remains the same. Nothing new, DotS was a slight progression with better written female characters, Goblin was a setback in that. Only thing Goblin did right was the cinematography and fantasy theme that was partially based on old folklore. I bet KES will never write anything female-centric while she’s alive, because no one would watch it. Her dramas are hyped up and saved by a hot swoony oppar….
That’s what I think as well: the hype around her drama and the cast is what saved her.
I guess she would be a lot better if her dramas were limited to 12 episodes or even less. Anything longer makes her write fill-in episodes as fan service rather than plot development.
But the fact is all her actors got more popular after playing in her dramas. I usually watch a drana bcuz of the story. Hyunbin for example. I like him in secret garden, but i wasnt impressed wtih him in hyde jekyll drama. Then, was it still that hyunbin save secret garden? Gong yoo, was Big (his previous drama before goblin) a hit? Nope. But, KES has a good choice. Those actors in her dramas could deliver the characters she wrote. It’s not only the actors’ work. But team work. Script writer, director and actor. If only actor’s work, hyde jekyll wont fail in rating with only 4%.
Btw are you Korean? Kdrama is made by Koreans for Koreans in the very first place. So… If her style is just koreans’ fave. But then, all her dramas are also successful in international fans. A few who dislike it wont really effect the success of her dramas. Gongyoo got interviewed by CNN was not only bcuz of his Train To Busan. But also bcuz of Goblin which is KES’s work.
Well, just my two cents:)
Although I don’t like KES dramas but there is surely something about them that entices viewers in such large extent and makes the her male leads hugely popular. She never had a faluire and that’s rare feat to achieve.
You know KES origanally wrote Secret Garden’s male lead role exclusively for Jang Hyuk after watching him in Chuno. He even accepted it but due to the fued between his and KES’s agency he had to leave it. Imagine what popularity he could have had considering his Chuno was smash hit. Hyun Bin is still living at it’s glory. Jang Hyuk (though I think he is quiet talented) doesn’t get decent stories and female leads or talented directors and hence chance to unleash his potential.
I agree with you Hyun Bin is KES’s making. Just see how many dramas he has done after SeGa. Only one. He is still popular due to SeGa and if it was not for Goblin Gong Yoo would not have this much attention even though Train to Busan was hit. There are lots of k movie actors who have mega hits movies one after another but how many of them are really popular outside Korea?
So what if he was interviewed with CNN? It just one if the TV channels out there. I don’t understand the hype of it. I don’t understand this American superior thingy.
Anybody knows her drama with Cha Seong Won was good or not?? He is one of my favorites but because of her I never watched it!
City Hall in my opinion is her best drama!
City Hall is a great drama full stop. It has stood the test of time.
@genger @Ck10z ah, I see. Thank you so much 🙂
The genre is completely up my ally but I don’t trust Kim Eun Sook. She would be a great writer if the dramas would be limited to 12 episodes and she has to be tight in her writing. I guess I just wait for the casting and then maybe I’ll give her another try after DotS and Goblin were such a miss for me. Also she is unable to write proper female character. Granted this isn’t a problem only she got but still… it’s so obvious she can write male characters but not female characters.
I think she wrote her story inspired by ‘real actors’ character. And I heard her first choice always a man not a flower boy. Jo In Sung or Eric will be my first choice if she said the character is wide range emotion and the genre is melodrama. But Jo Jung Seok is very versatile. If she wants younger actor Yoo Jin Goo or Park Bo Geum is good choice.
yoo ah in,if he still not get military service schedule,he fit for this role, he awesome in Chicago typewriter.
Yoo Ah In is awesome in anything! I think he’s very picky with projects but it would be interesting.
I like (most) KES drama very much. City Hall is one of my all-time-favorites. her strong points are romance and humor. i laughed so much in her drames. A Gentlemans Dignity was so funny. Goblin was really to long, 12 episodes would be better there. Not everybody liked DoS and there was a lot of hype, but i don´t care, if everybody or no one likes it, i loved it. 😉 so im waiting impatiently of this next project.
hmmm…somehow the cast of KBS’s Inspiration Generation came to my mine.
Who will be the lucky male lead??? Someone with good acting and towards the end 30’s
But its not good to b her. The stress of delivering sth that koream netizens n the world is looking at. Holding their breaths when the ratings come out hoping for yet another hit. N haters to start nitpickin. While i dont thk shes the best scriptwriter out there but she knows how to make a buzz. Im more keen on knowing who will b casted if that person dares to turn it down or not..
My guess is either Lee Seunggi, Jo Insung or So Jisub.
in her previous interview,she said she wanted to work with won bin and kang dong won so i guess it will be one of them
it will be great if she is able to bring back won bin from semi retirement.i hope she also pick yoon eun hye as female lead to help her make a grand comeback.
After Descendent of the Sun and now Mr Sunshine? Lol. I hope it’s not the final title. I’m curious who will be her next actor after she fulfilled one of her ambition to cast gong yoo.
This would be interesting if she can tap into possible cultural conflicts in all her imagination to create tension among the characters of her screenplay. Please leave out my fave SJK. He’s got enough spotlight and $$$$. Besides, not a soldier role again. C’mon!! That sounds so stale for him to reprise the same profession in his projects even I think the storyline could be interesting. Give the role to Hyun Bin please!!!!! And definitely no Gong Yoo. LOL…
If any writer can get Won Bin back on TV, it’s got to be KES. SJS has acted as a soldier before. Would it be Cha Seung Won again? JIS would look good as a soldier and he fits KES male good looking roles. Jang Dong Gun might be too old now. Kim Rae Won would be good too. I’ve never really seen Kang Don Won’s dramas but he is handsome too. Have I missed any?
I will definitely looking forward to it if male lead is Hyun Bin, Kim So Hyun or So Ji Sub.
I thk shes going for someone more mature mid30s and above. I cant picture Won Bin in a drama- since he has chose not to be back- even in film he seems to be on a hiatus. I do miss him n his acting
I feel Won Bin gave up on acting. He definitely has better things to do now then acting. I lost hope years ago with his return to dramaland.
Well she said: She is looking for good actor to play Mr Sunshine as the character has wide breadth of emotions.
So who is amongst K-actors who can play wide range of emotions?
Lee joon gi