Famed K-drama Screenwriters Kim Eun Sook and Kim Eun Hee Hold Joint Question-Answer Session in Seoul
If you love screenwriter Kim Eun Hee and/or Kim Eun Sook, the two sat down for a joint question-and-answer session this week in Seoul to share thoughts on their streak of successful K-dramas through the years. First they were asked about upcoming dramas – Kim Eun Hee has Kingdom, the Joseon era zombie drama, and she promises it will be the most death in any of her dramas, and people will die and then be killed again and she’s having a troubling time writing the death methods; Kim Eun Sook’s Mr. Sunshine is set in the early 1900’s and will need huge location sets built for the shooting and will have lots of outdoor fighting scenes and will require a significant financial output for the costumes and sets. Read on for more on dits especially Kim Eun Sook’s take on her recent wildly popular drama leads Gong Yoo, Song Joong Ki, and Song Hye Kyo.
Kim Eun Sook shared that Gong Yoo was the actor who rejected her drama offers the most times but she remained persistent and finally got him for Goblin and the resulting performance exceeded even her own expectations and she is so proud to have worked with him. When asked if she was a big reason why the Song-Song couple got together thanks to her cheesy Descendants of the Sun dialogue and sprawling romance, Kim Eun Sook laughed and said to ask Song Hye Kyo that question, but shared that Song Hye Kyo once said that Yoo Shi Jin helped transform Song Joong Ki in real life, in that he was very manly but after playing the role he added a layer of sweetness. And finally, Kim Eun Sook shared that her most coveted casting dream remains elusive K-actor Won Bin.
It is always interesting to know what is going on in a screen writer’s mind. I wish this article was longer but grateful for even this little bit, thank you 🙂
Thank you for this article. Any update on kingdom? Sjk was offered kingdom by signal writer, hope he takes this. Her last drama signal was Daebak.
I loved their last dramas Signal and Goblin. So I’m really excited for their next projects 🙂
Their names could pass them off as sisters. Interesting how they have totally opposite writing styles too.
Kim Eun-hee is a good writer who makes interesting plots and solutions. Kim Eun-sook has interesting ideas but her writing deteriorates towards the end of the drama. But KES knows what sells and she can get her way with the casting so her dramas are a guarantee hit. Too bad people love KES overrated fluff.
The writer of the current TvN’s hit drama “Live Up To Your Name” is also named Kim Eun Hee but she is a rookie writer. From KEH, I only like Signals. Not keen about zombie in joseon. Sound similar to Scholar Who Walks The Night. As for Kim Eun Sook, I never liked her dramas – being all too cheesy and most of the time full of fillers. Gong Yoo should thank her for giving him a career resurgence. He was stuck in a rut from a long time after MS until Train to Busan and Goblin came along.
Oh, I love both of them. I don’t always love their works. But I enjoy most of them. I would love to see the complete Q&A.
I was addicted to Signal, the writing was superb! Eh for Goblin. Of course, Won Bin! Needing to see him act again too!
I hope KES can give chances to other talented actors/actresses rather than LBH and others alike who really doesn’t need the CF money.
First, KES is a guaranteed ratings hit. People will complain about LBH, but in the end, it will end up betting at least 25-30% ratings. KES knows that because she probably has a god-complex, especially after winning a daesang. She wants some challenge and pairing up a critically acclaimed Chungmuro king with a shady private life of cheating his wife with model girls and a rising Chungmuro starlet who’s not familiar to ’family audience’ seems like a challenge KES wants to take. Probably to prove herself or others that she is invincible, that everything she writes is a Asian phenomenon and ratings hit. Unfortunately, I almost predict that this drama will get highly rated because 1) only online people will remind you about him cheating on his wife 2) people really don’t give phuck about scandals if the drama raises interest, even lesser funcks are given if it’s a movie. Just see how Park Shi Hoo’s drama is getting decent ratings. People can overlook his scandal because the overall drama interests them.
Second, in a world where rapists and predators like Polanski and Allen are getting celebrated in the movie industry, and abusers like Johnny Depp and sexual exploiters like Casey Affleck getting praised and even awarded at BAFTA and Academy Awards, one Lee Byung Hun getting a lead role in a KES drama is hardly anything compared to the aforementioned cases.
Third, I kinda hope this drama fails her expectations because KES needs to come back to ground. Too bad for Yoo Yeon Seok who is a genuine actor. And Kim Taeri as this is her small screen debut.
Yes, I am fully aware KES fluffy romance dramas are a sure win for an actor to regain or reach dizzy heights of popularity. She mentions that she writes with the actor/actress in mind to help them gain more CFs at the end of her dramas and this is why I hope she gives others a chance. LBH may have a scandalous past but with his acting does he really need to do a KES drama? I’m quite sure he can regain ‘popularity’ without her scripts.
idk what to feel about zombie in joseon,
I don’t think zombie is particularly interesting