When I heard of this upcoming K-drama I almost keeled over from laughing too hard. I can’t even K-ent is still trying to do a tense big-budget politics and war themed drama after failing so many times prior. IRIS is probably the pinnacle of execution and a tight story line but then it had plenty of flaws, not to mention successors like Athena: God of War and IRIS 2 with the most LOL ending ever. Get ready now for Prometheus: War of Fire, a ginormous budget K-drama produced by JL Media with funding by Netflix.
Lead offers are out to Ha Ji Won, Joo Ji Hoon, and Korean-American movie star Ki Hong Lee. It’s the story of North Korea’s attempt to launch an attack on the United States, which does seem timely but it’s hard to put something that feels likely into the context of fictional K-drama renditions. Ha Ji Won will be playing a top South Korean intelligence agent, Joo Ji Hoon a North Korean exiled military soldier, and Ki Hong Lee is up for the role of a CIA officer, with the story revolving around North Korea’s top nuclear scientist disappearing in Pakistan and all the interested parties send their top officers there to find him. The drama aims to start filming in May and will air on KBS.
Oh wow looks like Netflix liked joo ji hoon if the second Korean drama they are funding also stars him. This makes me very very happy! Also woohoo for min ho, I mean ki hong lee, getting offered a lead role!
Looks really promising. They really cast all the top-notch action actors in this.
I don’t understand why Ockoala thinks it’s funny to have a blockbuster drama budget.
This 26M budget for this drama if its 30-epi=to $800k/epi, if it’s 24epi=$1.08/per, if its 20epi is $1.3m/epi. That is a usual drama budget for Hollywood tv shows. K-drama producers can producer dramas at a smaller budget but at the expense of staff and crew by not providing better pay and some are even unpaid or not paid at all. On top of that they don’t give good filming conditions for everybody. This is where they are saving budget costs.
If producers can afford to spend more for their movie production, why not in k-drama productions when in fact they larger market for their dramas than movies.
It sounds like both of their agencies announced the casting offer for this production. I think both actors or their agency wanted this project badly.
If they don’t actually shoot the Pakistan bit in Pakistan, I really hope they don’t f**k it’s portrayal up as badly as Homeland did. At least get someone from the country to give you a fair idea.
That’s because Homeland is propaganda, just google it.
I bet they’ll shoot it in India instead and call it Pakistan and Korean audiences won’t even know the difference because ignorance is bliss.
This project sounds too ambitious. Maybe it will work on the big screen but I don’t have a good feeling that it can be materialized well on small screen. The casts are promising but execution-wise will need more than just the brilliant actors. I hope if HJW accept this offer, it will be a good one. It’s been so long since I last enjoy any of her dramas despite how much I love her to pieces.
I agree this project sounds amazing on the big screen. However, k-movie industry is not that big enough. Unlike Hollywood which can pool revenue from overseas even if the American market don’t like the movie, Korean movies don’t have that influence yet outside Korea. However Korean dramas have somehow penetrated the world market so a big drama production is feasible.
Well they had me at Ha Ji Won…
Me toooooooooo 🙂
Story certainly sounds exciting .Love the cast too.Am a faithful fan of HJW!
All I could see out of this was Joo Ji Hyun at first I hope he accepts this if the script is good. Then I saw Ha Ji Won, I love her! I’m happy that Netflix is willing to spend some money on kdramas.
At least Korean dramas tried those kind of spy themes in modern dramas. And most of them looked sleek. I don’t think I can recall any Chinese dramas in modern life with similar topics and as sleek as them. Of course China is more about Wuxia and normal modern dramas.
And Netflix backed them up so I am looking forward something like Secret Forest which was very well executed.
China’s spy dramas are permanently stuck in the revolutionary era, and always involves the Chinese fighting against the Japanese.
There are Undercover as well as Head Above Water last year, both are spy Chinese dramas set in modern era. Even action chick flick like Memory Lost or Cambrian Period incorporate spy elements in their story. Just because you don’t know any doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Yes, I think revolutionary era materials are so rich and diversified that why Chinese dramas tended be produced in that era. And those dramas propably get approved by the Govt faster. But I hardly saw any modern spy dramas from Chinese or probably they are not widely popular by overseas audiences
@Pong: I don’t think Memory Lost is considered a spy drama, it is more just a police/crime drama.
Sorry, those above dramas you mentioned I am not aware of, probably not available in English subtitles.
If you are talking about spying between nations, then yes, the Chinese seems to have kept it during the Japanese Occupation times, since there would be so much conspiracy theory to spin and lots of story can be written on it.
I am sure there are modern spy series in China, you probably have not heard of it, since not all Chinese dramas are subbed in English.
The good:
1.Ha Ji Won finally getting a co-star on the same page as her in terms of age and acting experience.From Kang Min Hyuk to Jo Ji Hoon is an upgrade.Even to me, Joo Ji Hoon is much more charismatic than Lee Jin Wook on screen.
2.The role in the hands of a good director looks like one that would capitalise on her acting strengths.I hope they bring out her more fierce side than her acting cutesy.It kind of reminds me of King 2 hearts.When she is with her comrades or when she had to confront the villain in agent mode.Or like in Empress Ki when she was queen and had to use her brain and be in command.Or Damo, Hwang Jin Yi.Thats the Ha Ji Won I like the best.Fierce, Intelligent, competent at work, in command and Badass.If that means being typecast it doesnt matter.They are very few Kdramas that have actress roles that are written that way.They are even fewer kdrama actresses that are able to execute those roles convincingly.
The proceed with caution bit:
3.Even though its a big budgeted drama and big name stars; they should have realistic expectations.The genre and story is not the kind that would lure their domestic audience from the get go.They have to make sure the action, chemistry, directing and script is tight.Otherwise if OCN come out with a nice crime thriller, MBC come out with a nice sageuk, SBS come out with a nice romance drama or JtBC dishes out another nice comedy drama in the same time slot..They will be completely demolished.
4.I hope she is ok.I mean she just lost her brother.It feels a bit soon.But if work therapeutic for her.Then I just wish her all the best.
your concerns are true dear.. being a fan of Ha ji won.. i wish she accepts this offer and move on in her life after such bad days !! peace
Well this is some great casting news. I haven’t been excited in a while about casting news.
Idk how spy drama works for a long run
they should just do it for 10 ep
Aww Great news! HJW & JJH will compliment each other nicely and whilst the synopsis sounds promising I hope they nail this and who knows the writer might have a heart and give us a love story for the leads and nek minute they’re dating in real life? Favourite actors from way back. Okay I’ve gone off tangent big time but Im gonna write to Netflix NZ to tag this drama once it’s ready! SK creatives -producers, directors and writers you guys are definitely on a roll 2018 ❤️
But the thing is; this casting news are from both agencies not from the producers themselves. Few actors could still be in contention. We don’t need another Kingdom casting offer which was suppose went to SSK and end JJH was also a prospective candidate.
correction:*SJK I mean not SSK
Didn’t Song Joongki reject it due to his marriage at that time?
Kingdom was not “supposed” to go to SJK.He was just offered the role and he rejected it saying he wants to focus on his wedding.So the offer went to Jo Ji Hoon.
I must say, Ju Jihoon really has great offers.
Probably due to the success of Along with the Gods?
I am looking forward to this. JJH is on a roll at the moment with projects.
Who else will KeyEast push? KSH is in the army. KHJ is well. LWH is a good actor but with lesser charisma and is going to the army.
I don’t know tbh.
I think Ha Ji Won deserves a break. She’s had a fair bit of tragedy in her life, all quite recent. I think she’d be kickass, no doubt, but I don’t think the stress from a big budget project would be good for her.
It might work or not, it all depends on the script, cast and do they have a big enough budget to do blockbuster production like this.
Ha Ji Won is good in action roles (dramatic ones not so much even though I love the dualist)
JJH isn’t he going to be busy with his netflix show? I think I read that it’s planned to be more then one season and if he’s filming now they might start another season quite quickly.
I read Joon Ji Hoon, and was excited, but then I don’t like how the lead actress act…. such a dilemma to watch or not watch.
We know HJW is good, JJH will still be proving himself. I wish them success.
I would like to see this drama.This is HJW ‘s forte.She will do justice to her role 100%.