Tag: Squid Game

  • Squid Game: The Challenge Grabs Best Reality Category At BAFTA TV Awards | People News

    Los Angeles: BAFTA TV Awards have been announced, and ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ once again shone bright. As per Deadline, ‘Squid Game — The Challenge’ won the Reality category at the BAFTA TV Awards.

    The UK-produced Netflix show beat off competition from shows such as Banged Up and Married At First Sight. A competition version of Korean drama Squid Game, it pitted 456 contestants against each other in a big to win a massive cash prize.

    Comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan hosted the 2024 BAFTA TV Awards, honoring the biggest stars of British television at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

    The show comes from The Traitors producer Studio Lambert and The Garden, a rare co-production between two major British unscripted producers from different production groups.

    The Traitors won last year, when the category was known as Reality and Constructed Factual.

    This year The Crown and Black Mirror got the most nominations. However, those nominations didn’t translate into awards as Happy Valley and Top Boy dominated the TV BAFTAs.

    According to Deadline, in the acting categories, Jasmine Jobson won a BAFTA for supporting actress for “Top Boy” with the show picking up a second award for best drama series, edging out “Happy Valley,” “The Gold” and “Slow Horses “For the honor. Timothy Spall won leading actor for “The Sixth Commandment,” which also won limited drama. “Acting’s a stupid thing… stand up pretending to be somebody and pissing about in costume,” Spall said to laughter as he picked up the award.

    “Strictly Come Dancing” won for entertainment, while “Squid Game: The Challenge” won an award for reality. Last year’s Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in the UK, won for live event coverage, with Hannah Waddingham – one of the hosts last year – accepted the award along with the production team.

    Sarah Lancarshire won the leading actress award for her turn in “Happy Valley.” The show also beat out David Beckham teasing his wife Victoria over her “working class” upbringing in his Netflix documentary “Beckham” to take home the award for most memorable moment.

  • Netflix to invest USD 2.5 billion in South Korean content

    By AFP

    SEOUL: Netflix will invest $2.5 billion in South Korean content over the next four years, the streaming giant’s CEO Ted Sarandos announced after meeting with the country’s President Yoon Suk Yeol in Washington.

    South Korea has cemented its status as a global cultural powerhouse in recent years, thanks in part to the explosive success of the Oscar-winning film “Parasite” and the hit Netflix series “Squid Game”.

    “Netflix is delighted to confirm that we will invest USD 2.5 billion in Korea including the creation of Korean series, films, and unscripted shows over the next four years,” Sarandos said in a statement given to AFP on Tuesday.

    “This investment plan is twice the total amount Netflix has invested in the Korean market since we started our service in Korea in 2016.”

    Sarandos said that Netflix had “great confidence” that South Korea’s creative industry would continue to tell great stories, pointing to the recent success of global hits such as “The Glory” and the reality show “Physical 100”.

    “It is incredible that the love towards Korean shows has led to a wider interest in Korea, thanks to the Korean creators’ compelling stories. Their stories are now at the heart of the global cultural zeitgeist,” he added.

    Over the last few years, South Korean content has taken the world by storm, with over 60 percent of Netflix viewers watching a show from the East Asian country in 2022, company data showed.

    Netflix, which spent more than 1 trillion won ($750 million) developing Korean content from 2015 to 2021, had previously said it would be expanding its South Korean show output, without giving details of spending plans.

    Yoon, who is on a six-day state visit, hailed what he described as a “very meaningful” meeting with Sarandos, according to a transcript shared with AFP by the president’s office.

    The president said the new investment “will be a great opportunity for the Korean content industry, creators, and Netflix. We sincerely welcome Netflix’s exceptional investment decision.”

    Yoon will meet US President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

    ‘Wise decision’

    Many of Netflix’s biggest global hits in recent years have been from South Korea, so the company is making a “wise decision” to double down financially, Regina Kim, an entertainment writer and expert on K-content based in New York City, told AFP.

    “Netflix has played a huge role in disseminating K-culture and K-content around the world.”

    The firm’s latest investment means viewers worldwide “will continue to witness Netflix’s Korean contents change the landscape of global screen culture”, Areum Jeong, a film expert and visiting scholar at Robert Morris University, told AFP.

    But the move could raise concern over “how big Netflix is becoming in Korea as local streamers struggle to keep up”, Jason Bechervaise, a Seoul-based film scholar, told AFP.

    Netflix is also one of the companies embroiled in a “usage fee” debate in South Korea.

    The country’s internet companies are seeking to force major data users — such as the streaming giant — to pay more for bandwidth, something Netflix has strongly pushed back against.

    SEOUL: Netflix will invest $2.5 billion in South Korean content over the next four years, the streaming giant’s CEO Ted Sarandos announced after meeting with the country’s President Yoon Suk Yeol in Washington.

    South Korea has cemented its status as a global cultural powerhouse in recent years, thanks in part to the explosive success of the Oscar-winning film “Parasite” and the hit Netflix series “Squid Game”.

    “Netflix is delighted to confirm that we will invest USD 2.5 billion in Korea including the creation of Korean series, films, and unscripted shows over the next four years,” Sarandos said in a statement given to AFP on Tuesday.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    “This investment plan is twice the total amount Netflix has invested in the Korean market since we started our service in Korea in 2016.”

    Sarandos said that Netflix had “great confidence” that South Korea’s creative industry would continue to tell great stories, pointing to the recent success of global hits such as “The Glory” and the reality show “Physical 100”.

    “It is incredible that the love towards Korean shows has led to a wider interest in Korea, thanks to the Korean creators’ compelling stories. Their stories are now at the heart of the global cultural zeitgeist,” he added.

    Over the last few years, South Korean content has taken the world by storm, with over 60 percent of Netflix viewers watching a show from the East Asian country in 2022, company data showed.

    Netflix, which spent more than 1 trillion won ($750 million) developing Korean content from 2015 to 2021, had previously said it would be expanding its South Korean show output, without giving details of spending plans.

    Yoon, who is on a six-day state visit, hailed what he described as a “very meaningful” meeting with Sarandos, according to a transcript shared with AFP by the president’s office.

    The president said the new investment “will be a great opportunity for the Korean content industry, creators, and Netflix. We sincerely welcome Netflix’s exceptional investment decision.”

    Yoon will meet US President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

    ‘Wise decision’

    Many of Netflix’s biggest global hits in recent years have been from South Korea, so the company is making a “wise decision” to double down financially, Regina Kim, an entertainment writer and expert on K-content based in New York City, told AFP.

    “Netflix has played a huge role in disseminating K-culture and K-content around the world.”

    The firm’s latest investment means viewers worldwide “will continue to witness Netflix’s Korean contents change the landscape of global screen culture”, Areum Jeong, a film expert and visiting scholar at Robert Morris University, told AFP.

    But the move could raise concern over “how big Netflix is becoming in Korea as local streamers struggle to keep up”, Jason Bechervaise, a Seoul-based film scholar, told AFP.

    Netflix is also one of the companies embroiled in a “usage fee” debate in South Korea.

    The country’s internet companies are seeking to force major data users — such as the streaming giant — to pay more for bandwidth, something Netflix has strongly pushed back against.

  • Leonardo DiCaprio to join Squid Game?

    By Express News Service

    Actor Leonardo DiCaprio could be invited to feature in the Netflix series Squid Game, for a future season, the series writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk said.

    According to a Variety report, the director made the statement during a press conference conducted by Netflix in Seoul on Friday. The hit Korean series was renewed for a second season after it was received well among audiences across the world. The series earned 14 Emmy nominations and won six out of them this year.

    Speaking about if any Hollywood star would appear in Squid Game, Hwang was quoted as saying, “There will be no known Hollywood actor in Season 2. That’s not in the plan and if the stage changes, maybe in Season 3 – but for Season 2, it is still set in Korea. Leonardo DiCaprio did say he’s a big fan of ‘Squid Game,’ so maybe if time or chances allow, we can ask him to join the games.”

    He also revealed that the shooting for the second season will begin in 2023 and will release in the following year. The players and the games have also been confirmed, he added.

    Actor Leonardo DiCaprio could be invited to feature in the Netflix series Squid Game, for a future season, the series writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk said.

    According to a Variety report, the director made the statement during a press conference conducted by Netflix in Seoul on Friday. The hit Korean series was renewed for a second season after it was received well among audiences across the world. The series earned 14 Emmy nominations and won six out of them this year.

    Speaking about if any Hollywood star would appear in Squid Game, Hwang was quoted as saying, “There will be no known Hollywood actor in Season 2. That’s not in the plan and if the stage changes, maybe in Season 3 – but for Season 2, it is still set in Korea. Leonardo DiCaprio did say he’s a big fan of ‘Squid Game,’ so maybe if time or chances allow, we can ask him to join the games.”

    He also revealed that the shooting for the second season will begin in 2023 and will release in the following year. The players and the games have also been confirmed, he added.

  • Lee Jung-Jae becomes first Asian actor to win Emmy for Squid Game

    By Express News Service

    Actor Lee Jung-Jae, who received worldwide recognition for his lead role in the Korean series Squid Game, became the first Asian actor to win an Emmy award in Best Actor in the drama category.

    It is to be noted that Lee is only the fourth Asian actor ever to win an Emmy award and also becomes the first to receive a drama award for the non-English speaking category.

    Others who were nominated alongside Lee were Bob Odenkirk for Better Call Saul, Jason Bateman for Ozark, Adam Scott for Severance, and Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong for Succession. Upon receiving the award, Lee gave an acceptance speech both in English and Korean.

    “Thank you to the Television Academy, thank you to Netflix and thank you to the director for making realistic problems we all face come to life so creatively on the screen with a great script. Thank you, ‘ Squid Game’ team. Thank you to everyone watching in Korea,” Variety quoted Lee. Squid Game premiered on Netflix in September 2021, and has been renewed for a second season after it was received well among audiences across the world.

    The series earned 14 nominations and won six out of them. Lee You-mi won the award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, while it was also recognised under the categories Outstanding Special Visual Effects, Outstanding Stunt Performance, and Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program.

    Actor Lee Jung-Jae, who received worldwide recognition for his lead role in the Korean series Squid Game, became the first Asian actor to win an Emmy award in Best Actor in the drama category.

    It is to be noted that Lee is only the fourth Asian actor ever to win an Emmy award and also becomes the first to receive a drama award for the non-English speaking category.

    Others who were nominated alongside Lee were Bob Odenkirk for Better Call Saul, Jason Bateman for Ozark, Adam Scott for Severance, and Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong for Succession. Upon receiving the award, Lee gave an acceptance speech both in English and Korean.

    “Thank you to the Television Academy, thank you to Netflix and thank you to the director for making realistic problems we all face come to life so creatively on the screen with a great script. Thank you, ‘ Squid Game’ team. Thank you to everyone watching in Korea,” Variety quoted Lee. Squid Game premiered on Netflix in September 2021, and has been renewed for a second season after it was received well among audiences across the world.

    The series earned 14 nominations and won six out of them. Lee You-mi won the award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, while it was also recognised under the categories Outstanding Special Visual Effects, Outstanding Stunt Performance, and Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program.

  • Korean series ‘Squid Game’ to compete for Emmys history

    By AFP

    LOS ANGELES: Hundreds entered, but only one can triumph: South Korea’s “Squid Game” will make a play for Emmys history Monday as it aims to become the first foreign-language television show to win top honors for best drama.

    The Netflix show — in which misfits and criminals compete for cash in barbaric and fatal versions of schoolyard games — is aiming to follow in the footsteps of Oscar-winning movie “Parasite” with success at TV’s top prize gala.

    It is already the first non-English-language series to earn a best drama series nomination. To convert that into a trophy at the ceremony in Los Angeles, it will need to overcome a previous winner in HBO’s “Succession.”

    “It’s pretty hard to go against that HBO juggernaut,” said Deadline awards columnist Pete Hammond, noting that the cutthroat drama about a powerful clan vying to inherit a media empire secured the most overall nominations with 25.

    “I do think [‘Squid Game’] is going to win best actor,” said Hammond — an outcome that would make Lee Jung-jae the category’s first winner whose performance was not in English.

    Other shows contending for the night’s top drama prizes include Apple TV+ dystopian workplace series “Severance,” starring Adam Scott, and the final season of Netflix’s much-lauded crime saga “Ozark.”

    Zendaya, who became the youngest-ever best actress winner two years ago for hard-hitting teen drama “Euphoria,” is tipped to repeat with her work on the show’s sophomore season.

    LOS ANGELES: Hundreds entered, but only one can triumph: South Korea’s “Squid Game” will make a play for Emmys history Monday as it aims to become the first foreign-language television show to win top honors for best drama.

    The Netflix show — in which misfits and criminals compete for cash in barbaric and fatal versions of schoolyard games — is aiming to follow in the footsteps of Oscar-winning movie “Parasite” with success at TV’s top prize gala.

    It is already the first non-English-language series to earn a best drama series nomination. To convert that into a trophy at the ceremony in Los Angeles, it will need to overcome a previous winner in HBO’s “Succession.”

    “It’s pretty hard to go against that HBO juggernaut,” said Deadline awards columnist Pete Hammond, noting that the cutthroat drama about a powerful clan vying to inherit a media empire secured the most overall nominations with 25.

    “I do think [‘Squid Game’] is going to win best actor,” said Hammond — an outcome that would make Lee Jung-jae the category’s first winner whose performance was not in English.

    Other shows contending for the night’s top drama prizes include Apple TV+ dystopian workplace series “Severance,” starring Adam Scott, and the final season of Netflix’s much-lauded crime saga “Ozark.”

    Zendaya, who became the youngest-ever best actress winner two years ago for hard-hitting teen drama “Euphoria,” is tipped to repeat with her work on the show’s sophomore season.

  • ‘Succession’ tops Emmy nominations, ‘Squid Game’ also scores  

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES: “Succession” received a leading 25 Emmy nominations Tuesday, but the satirical drama about the rich and ruthless has a landmark rival in “Squid Game,” the first non-English language series to vie for television’s top honour.

    Netflix’s “Squid Game,” a South Korea-set drama in which the poor are fodder for brutal games, earned a best drama nomination and 13 other bids for September’s Emmy Awards. HBO’s “Succession” captured the best drama trophy and six other awards when it last vied for Emmys, in 2020.

    Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said he appreciated that “Squid Game” was chosen as the “first milestone” for a Hollywood and U.S. change of attitude. “Instead of just exporting the content around the world, it is now shifting to become a participant in the global content realm to facilitate exchanges of cultures around the world,” he told The Associated Press through a translator.

    “Ted Lasso” was the top comedy series nominee with 20 bids and has the chance to earn its second consecutive best comedy trophy, as academy voters proved undeterred by its sophomore season turn to the emotional dark side.

    Other top nominees included the tropical resort-set anthology dramedy “The White Lotus,” which also received 20 nominations; the comedies “Hacks” and “Only Murders in the Building” with 17 bids each, and teenage dysfunction drama “Euphoria.” Its star, Zendaya, was crowned best actress in 2020 and is nominated again.

    Departing series that might have expected salutes were instead snubbed, including the beloved family drama “This Is Us,” which received one bid, for original music and lyrics. An equally beloved family comedy, “black-ish,” earned costume and hairstyling nominations. “Ozark,” which wrapped its run last season, fared better, with 13 bids including best drama series.

    The final season for “Insecure” earned a lead comedy actress bid for its creator-star Issa Rae, while the return of “Atlanta” brought its creator and lead Donald Glover a shot at the best actor trophy to bookend his 2017 award.

    The crowd-pleasing and acclaimed ” Abbott Elementary” made a splashy debut in its first year, earning seven nominations including a best comedy nod and a lead acting bid for its creator, Quinta Brunson.

    The recognition for the ABC show was a rare bright spot for broadcast networks, which were otherwise shut out of the comedy and drama series races. The other nominees for best comedy series are “Barry”; “Curb Your Enthusiasm”; “Hacks”; “The Marvelous Mrs Maisel”; “Only Murders in the Building”; “Ted Lasso” and “What We Do in the Shadows.”

    Best drama series nominees include “Better Call Saul”; “Euphoria”; “Severance”; “Stranger Things” and “Yellowjackets.” The modern vampire comedy “What We Do in the Shadows” and “Yellowjackets,” a combined thriller and coming-of-age saga that’s created a major buzz, showed that Emmy voters have both a sense of humour and adventure.

    The controversy apparently left them unfazed: “Dave Chappelle: The Closer,” which drew criticism for its transgender mockery, picked up a pre-recorded variety special nomination.

    “Only Murders in the Building,” a cheery crime romp headed by the charmingly unlikely trio of Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short, earned best comedy actor bids for its veteran stars but left Gomez off the acting list.

    Netflix’s global sensation “Squid Game” followed in the footsteps of the 2020 Oscar darling “Parasite,” also made in South Korea. But “Pachinko,” a sweeping and much-lauded South Korean family drama failed to garner any Emmy nods.

    Emmy rules allow for a non-English language show with a U.S. production partner to compete, but it took the rise of streaming services to make it happen. The Emmys were once dominated by broadcast and later cable shows made primarily for North America, but streamers target that market and a wide swath of others — and are finding that shows made in Asia, Europe and elsewhere can carry worldwide.The longstanding lack of shows with any dialogue other than English is demonstrated by NBC’s 1980 miniseries “Shōgun,” based on the James Clavell novel about early 17th-century Japan. The bilingual production by a U.S. studio was groundbreaking but not a trend-setter when it won the best-limited series Emmy and acting nods.”Squid Game” boosted rare Asian representation with its five acting nominations, including a lead actor bid for Lee Jung-Jae and a supporting actress nod for Jung Ho-Yeon. The show already had proved a groundbreaker at this year’s Screen Actors Guild, where Lee and Jung received the first guild acting trophies for a non-English language show.

    The series was such “a phenomenon that it would have been really odd if it hadn’t done well” with Emmy voters, said Eric Deggans, television critic for National Public Radio. The impressive number of acting nods it received indicates the academy “valued the performances they were delivering as well as the impact of the entire show.”

    Other performers of Asian descent received nominations, including Sandra Oh for “Killing Eve” and Bowen Yang for “Saturday Night Live.” But there were opportunities missed for Black actors, including the stars of “black-ish,” and for series recognition of Black-led shows “Atlanta’ and “Insecure,” said Deggans.

    Voters also missed the chance to salute the well-reviewed Native American comedy “Reservation Dogs” and another series with Native characters and culture, “Rutherford Falls,” and there’s scant Latino representation in the nominations.

    The other nominees for best comedy series actress besides Brunson and Rae are Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs Maisel”; Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant”; Elle Fanning, “The Great,” and last year’s winner, Jean Smart for “Hacks.”

    Other nominees for actor in a comedy series include Bill Hader, “Barry”; Nicholas Hoult, “The Great”; Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”; Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”; Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building.”

    For drama series actors, the field also includes Jason Bateman, “Ozark”; Brian Cox, “Succession”; Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”; Adam Scott, “Severance” and Jeremy Strong, “Succession.”

    The other best drama series actress nominees are Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”; Laura Linney, “Ozark”; Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets” and Reese Witherspoon, “The Morning Show.”The limited series nominees are “Dopesick”; “The Dropout”; “Inventing Anna”; “The White Lotus”; “Pam & Tommy.”

    The nominees for a variety of talk series are: “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”; “Jimmy Kimmel Live”; “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”; “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

    The Emmy ceremony is set for September 12 and will air on NBC and stream on Peacock, with a host yet to be announced. 

  • Netflix to expand ‘Squid Game’ universe with new reality series ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’

    The 10-episode competition series is a co-production between Studio Lambert (The Circle) and The Garden (24 Hours in A&E), part of ITV Studios, and it will be filmed in the UK.

  • Netflix officially confirms ‘Squid Game’ season 2

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Streaming service Netflix has officially renewed its hit Korean survival drama series “Squid Game” for a second season with writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk promising fans that “a whole new round is coming”.

    Hwang also revealed that Song Gi-hun aka player no 456, played by Lee Jung-jae, and The Front Man, a mysterious character essayed by Lee Byung-hun, will reprise their roles.

    He also teased the return of Gong Yoo, who played the unnamed character of a man in the suit with ‘ddakji’ who recruits players into the ‘Squid Game’, a series of Korean’s children games with a deadly twist whose last surviving contestant will be rewarded 45.6 billion won as cash prize.

    In a note shared on Netflix’s social media pages late Sunday night, the acclaimed director thanked viewers for loving the show, which only saw the light of day 12 years after it was conceived.

    ALSO READ | Ranveer Singh, Bear Grylls’ interactive adventure reality special to launch on Netflix

    “It took 12 years to bring the first season of ‘Squid Game’ to life last year. But it took 12 days for ‘Squid Game’ to become the most popular Netflix series ever. As the writer, director and producer of ‘Squid Game, a huge shout-out to fans around the world. Thank you for watching and loving our show.

    “And now, Gi-hun returns. The Front Man returns. Season 2 is coming. The man in the suit with ddakji might be back,” Hwang said.

    Hwang Dong-Hyuk writer, director, producer, and creator of @squidgame has a message for the fans: pic.twitter.com/DxF0AS5tMM
    — Netflix (@netflix) June 12, 2022
    The director, also known for Korean films such as “Silenced” and “Miss Granny”, said in this season the audience will be introduced to Cheol-su, the boyfriend of Young-hee, the giant creepy doll that shot lasers out of its eyes in the first round ‘Red Light, Green Light’ of “Squid Game” season one.

    “Join us once more for a whole new round,” he added.

    The streamer’s announcement comes six months after Hwang said he was in talks with Netflix over “season 2 as well as season 3”.

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    “Squid Game” was released on September 17, 2021 and soon became a global hit for the streamer, topping charts across the world to become the most-watched Netflix series of all time.

    According to the makers, the official synopsis of the series reads: “A mysterious invitation to join the game is sent to people at risk who are in dire need of money. 456 participants from all walks of life are locked into a secret location where they play games in order to win 45.6 billion won. Every game is a Korean traditional children’s game such as Red Light, Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. Who will be the winner, and what is the purpose behind this game?”

    The wildly popular K-drama also starred Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, HoYeon Jung, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Kim Joo-ryoung and Indian actor Anupam Tripathi.

  • ‘Our Blues’ about healing and hope: Korean superstar Lee Byung-hun on new Netflix drama 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Popular Korean superstar Lee Byung-hun, who is returning on Netflix after “Squid Game” with the new drama “Our Blues”, says the multi-starrer series is about the scars that people carry with themselves and how they overcome these wounds.

    A collaboration between popular writer Noh Hee-kyung and director Kim Kyu-tae of “It’s Okay, That’s Love” fame, “Our Blues” brings together an exciting cast of some of the biggest names in the Korean entertainment world.

    Lee who has had an illustrious career with shows such as “A Bittersweet Life”, “I Saw the Devil” and “Mr Sunshine” as well as Hollywood productions “GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra” and “Red 2”, will star as a Jeju Island-based truck maker in the omnibus-style drama about heartache and healing.

    “People say every soul has a scar. This drama shows those scars and those scarred people. Living life means trying to forget those scars, trying to overcome them. People with wounds and how they overcome those scars will be manifested in the drama in a touching way and impart hope to the viewers,” Lee told reporters during a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday.

    In the press conference that was live streamed on Netflix Korea’s website, the actor also spoke about working with “Hometown Cha Cha Cha” star Shin Min-a for the third time.

    Both the actors are paired together in the drama, which also stars Shin Min-a’s real life boyfriend Kim Woo-bin.

    “I first worked with Min-a in her debut piece. She was my younger sister and was it ‘Beautiful Days? Yes, it was. Then we worked on “A Bittersweet Life” together where my character had unrequited love for her. Being in a romantic relationship or having our characters both like each other in a drama is the first time. It was amazing to work with her, we had great chemistry,” the actor, who played the frontman on Netflix hit “Squid Game”, said.

    Shin Min-a, best known to Korean drama lovers for her role in shows such “My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox”, “My Love, My Bride”, “Oh My Venus”, “Tomorrow, With You”, “Chief of Staff” and “Hometown-Cha-Cha-Cha”, said her chemistry with Lee is better this time.

    Asked about taking on the role of a mother for the first time in her career, the 38-year-old actor said that was one of the main reasons for her to feature in the series.

    “Min Seon-a (her character) is someone who is still dwelling in her pain. This was my first role as a mother of a child. There was more pressure on me to depict her emotional changes and how she overcomes her pain rather than the fact that she is a mother. Weirdly, I had an understanding of her character and mindset and I felt her pain and her will to overcome that.”

    “Seon-a’s character was the biggest reason why I took on this piece. Her emotions and personality were relatable,” Shin said.

    Writer Noh, who is best known for penning shows such as “Live”, “Dear My Friends”, “It’s Okay, That’s Love”, “That Winter, the Wind Blows” and “Worlds Within”, said she decided to work on an omnibus format because she was tired to see stories revolve only around male and female pair in dramas.

    “Omnibus style is something that I wanted to try on a drama series for over 10 years. I kind of got sick and tired of just seeing a male lead and a female lead. We’re all the lead characters in our lives. But why is it that everything revolves around two people in a drama? Those questions led me to this style,” the writer said.

    Noh said she chose Jeju Island because there the Korean and local sentiments still remain intact and it has a closely-knit culture. Director Kim said the show felt like a hybrid between a drama series and a film and he decided to stick to the basics rather than go overboard.

    “I got back to the basics and I wanted to go about it in the classic and sophisticated way. Nowadays we tend to see a lot of fancy video techniques or sometimes we just go for instant thrills and stimulus, but I wanted to focus more on characters, their stories and their emotions.”

     Actor Cha Seung-won, best known for hit shows such as “City Hall”, “The Greatest Love” and “Hwayugi”, plays the role of Choi Han-soo, who returns to his hometown of Jeju as a perfect urban man.

    His first love is played by “Parasite” star Lee Jung-eun and her character owns a fish stall in the show.

    The actor said there was no reason for him to say no to the drama that starred such great actors. “Director Kim told me that everyone here would be in it. I really couldn’t believe that all of these actors would gather together to be in one drama. I feel happy and satisfied for the first time in a really long time.”

    Lee Jung-eun said she got a lot of help from senior actors whenever she felt stuck in a scene. She also learned the Jeju Island dialect as her character was born there.

    Han Ji-min, who plays a newbie haenyeo, a term used to describe the female divers of the island whose livelihood depends on harvesting mollusks and seaweed, said it felt great to collaborate with writer Noh’s again after “Padam Padam”.

    “Also this is my foray into an omnibus drama so the pressure is not just on me solely as I had a great cast to rely on,” the actor, best known for romantic shows “Familiar Wife”, ” Hyde, Jekyll, Me” and “One Spring Night”, said, Han said the best thing about writer Noh’s shows is that her characters revolve around ordinary people and their lives.

    “A Witch’s Love” star Uhm Jung-hwa said it was in her bucket list to star in a show written by Noh and that became possible with “Our Blues”. Her character in the series is a loyal friend to Lee’s character. The tvN drama will start streaming on Netflix India from April 9.

  • Hoyeon, Renate Reinsve, Lily-Rose Depp to star in The Governesses

    By Express News Service

    Actor Renate Reinsve (of The Worst Person in the World fame), Hoyeon (of Squid Game-fame), and Lily-Rose Depp will star in filmmaker Joe Talbot’s upcoming movie The Governesses.

    Based on author Anne Serre’s novel of the same name, the feature will have an adapted screenplay written by Talbot in collaboration with poet-novelist Olivia Gatwood.

    The film will follow three rebellious governesses who upend the household-they work in by inspiriting the minds of the boys in their care, igniting the imaginations of the bohemian couple who employ them, and abandoning their charges for erotic adventures.

    Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe of Element Pictures will produce the film along with Rob Richert of Talbot’s Longshot Features and Angus Lamont. BBC Film will co-finance the project alongside A24. Filmmaker Talbot previously directed the critically-acclaimed 2019 film The Last Black Man in San Francisco.

    Norweigian star Reinsve most recently starred in Joachim Trier’s Oscar-nominated hit The Worst Person in the World. Hoyeon, who made her mark in Netflix’s Squid Game, will be seen next in Alfonso Cuaron’s thriller series Disclaimer. Depp, known for titles like Tusk, The King, Planetarium, Voyagers, will be seen next in HBO’s The Idol.