So this is an unexpected pairing and also a weird story to keep re-doing. Netflix is planning a 2025 sageuk drama titled Scandal based on the 2003 explicit rated K-movie Untold Scandal, which is loosely based on the novel Dangerous Liaisons. In talks for the leads are Son Ye Jin and Ji Chang Wook so quite a mature and big name casting if both accept. If this is a Netflix drama then it definitely can be sexier and darker than on a big three K-network when done as a drama. I’m forever perplexed why this story keeps getting remade when it never interested me to begin with but I guess it’s got lots of sexual tension and plotting which makes for good scandal to mine.
Like the pairing(ish) but this is a godawful premise and source material. Knetz were absolutely not thrilled either in almost 100% of their comments online. Then again, neither actors are known to have a good eye for scripts, let’s be honest. So if they do accept, that wouldn’t exactly generate any level of trust. Sounds like a waste of time, resources and cash again from Netflix…
Interesting. I had to look up SYJ’s drama track record – didnt realize it was very so-so. She’s always talked about with JJH and SHK as the trio for their beauty, I think I incorrectly associated that with success too.
I don’t remember liking a single SYJ drama in the past decade other than CLOY. JCW is even worse with his picks 😂 at least this drama is a guranteed NOPE for me.
looking forward to it
Ugh. These are one of those stories that needs to stop being remade.
Ditto! The story had been reused many times until it become stale already.
I haven’t seen the Korean remake but am familiar with the original novel ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ and the stage and Western film adaptations which are excellent-even the contemporary US teen remake Cruel intentions was good. Son Ye Jin will be playing the equivalent of the Marquise de Merteuil character and that is a great role for actresses. I can see her doing really well with such juicy and complex role.
Not a fan of this pairing. I do not like Ji Chang Wook’s acting. I find him greasy, wooden and insincere in roles which is why he is never believable as a male lead for me but in this drama he will be playing an amoral, predatory sleaze which fits his vibe IMO so I think he could work in that aspect of the role. However, I really can’t see him having chemistry with SYJ. The chemistry between their characters is so important as former lovers scheming nefariously behind the scenes.
I do hope this remake is not set in Joseon though. I’m so bored of Joseon set Kdramas. There are other eras of Korean history.
Hmmm…I am not confident about the drama now I see it’s from the director, Jung Ji-woo. I hate how exploitative and male gaze-y his previous “erotic” works were.
Same thoughts on JCW. He’s always given me the sleazy feel in all his romance dramas for some odd reason. His fans will undoubtedly feel otherwise but to me, he is far more likeable in action roles or ones where he’s not trying to be ‘romantic’.
Loved Son Yi-Jin in Something in the Rain and Ji Chang-wook in Suspicious Partners. Looking forward to Scandal!
What are they got to lose if they do it. It’s Netflix so ratings are not an issue. Just another one in a long list of lackluster Netflix with good actors stuck in soulless dramas that will be hyped as a hit because it will be in the top10 for X weeks. Son Yejin said she wanted to do Lee Misook’s role when she’s older and she’s about the right age for the role now. Kind of a now or never thing. If it fails she can take a long rest while her son is growing up like other actress moms do. And if Ji Chang Wook’s career survived Backstreet Rookie and Queen Woo, it can survive anything.
She is currently filming a Park Chan Wook project, so a Netflix drama failing would not sideline her career at all.
Drama fans don’t care about her Park Chanwook work at all. Doesn’t even get talked about much and Koala never posted about even. After SITR and CLOY she’s only been judged based on her dramas as if her successful movie career didn’t exist because it seems like high-rated dramas are the end all and be all of an korean actress’ career.
@Rianne
Drama fans don’t care maybe because they’re “drama” fans? I didn’t see them talk about any other not romcom movie either.
It still doesn’t make Park Chang Wook’s works less impactful.
What I’m saying is that SYJ is known more for her film work than her dramas, although she has had some recent success with CLOY and SITR for the Netflix generation. So doing a lackluster drama like Thirty Nine won’t affect her career.
That description of the majority of Netflix Kdramas is so accurate. Also the comment about JCW’s career🤣 He has starred in some absolute stinkers but he keeps going.
Stephen Frears and Milos Forman’s movies were great even if must admit that i never was attracted by the book ( i had to study it in highschool) . I’m curious too see the korean adptation . Hard to beat Colin Firth , John Malkovich and the great Glenn Close . Son Ye Jin has a soft image and Ji Chang Wook is more fit for Keanu Reeves’s role !
The last time Koreans tried to adapt this story, it was a horrible snoozefest! (But at least Kim Min-jae and Moon Ga-young got the needed second lead experience.)
I watched US remake Cruel intentions, and remember it was one of the favourites movies for me and my sister in teen ages. There weren’t many explicit scenes, maybe just one, but it was okay. I read the book after, it’s interesting and doesn’t have many explicit scenes either. It have similarity with Dorian Gray, but without mystic trop.
I didn’t watch korean remake, but the original plot isn’t about s*x, they can show more than that.
And I’m interested to see how Son Ye Jin will portrait evil and manipulative character.
Anyway, I don’t have high hopes about drama and don’t have prejudices either, just will watch first episode and then judge.
I really like this pairing. JCW chose really very different projects even if they weren’t great, he often was the best part like in Queen Woo.
“Les liaisons dangereuses” is a very important novel for 18th century European literature, Miss Koala. It’s an ode to libertinisme, but also an early anti Ancien Régime novel; everyone’s deeply corrupted and it is obvious that they belong to a social class that is dead and rotten. It is also very unique in its character as epistolary novel; not only we get different POVs, but the same person changes depending on who is the recipient of the letter.
As for a K adaptation, why not. Joseon looks far less libertine than pre-revolutionary France, but who knows. And I can see both Son Ye-jin and Ji Chang-wook in the lead roles, they would make interesting Marquise de Merteuil and Valmont.
There was a highschool Kadaptation with Tempted.
Yes. I was surprised how easy it was to read considering it was written over 200 years ago. The story has so many interesting themes about corruption, gender, power, morality but, unfortunately, a lot of more recent adaptations lazily reduce it down to good girl changes bad boy trope + nudity and sex.
Agree,but why not making a drama based upon the comedies written by Marivaux or Beaumarchais rather than Laclos .I think that it il would be good as theses comedies were about love, hierarchy, and society’s problems . Why always Les liaisons dangereuses ! They may be attracted by the title of the book !
Probably because most of people think R-18 stuff sells more than comedies? Not all but a lot of people think that way.
The casting is interesting. I know nothing about the original. So it should not have any impact on me if this one is a remake. I look forward to it.