Casting roll call: Iljimae, Triple

14 July 9, 2008July 26, 2008

by javabeans

Lee Seung-gi has left the cast of MBC’s upcoming Iljimae, only to be replaced by… Jung Il-woo?

On July 9, his management issued the reason: “Because Iljimae kept being pushed back and will film in China for a month, it will add difficulty to his shooting for 1 Night 2 Days. His departure from the drama was achieved through mutual agreement on both sides.”

Now the two Iljimae leads will be played by Jung Il-woo and Yoon Jin-seo (Beastie Boys), which MBC plans to air in November.

I call BS, since he seemed willing enough to leave 1 Night 2 Days (which is, after all, merely a stint on a variety program versus headlining his own big-name drama) before SBS’s Iljimae came out starring Lee Junki. Perhaps they’d held out hope that SBS’s drama would flop and are now using 1 Night as their excuse to back out. MBC’s drama, directed by Goong PD Hwang In-roi, had originally boasted an advantage over SBS, securing the licensing rights to the books upon which the story of Iljimae is based, but now it’ll face an uphill battle trailing such successful competition.

That means Jung Il-woo will leave his role in MBC’s upcoming ice-skating drama Triple, directed by Coffee Prince PD Lee Yoon-jung and co-starring “luxury nose” possessor and rookie singer Min Hyo-rin (he as a speed-skater, she as a figure-skater). Triple has now been pushed back to next year.

And… I no longer care to watch Iljimae. I’d been hoping that MBC’s version would provide an interesting variation, particularly since I didn’t love the SBS version. And yet, while I would happily watch Jung Il-woo in a cast of young trendy actors doing a fluffy ice-skating drama, I really don’t think he’s gonna be able to pull off a sageuk hero.

In other casting news, Moon Sori (Legend, Forever the Moment) has been selected to lead MBC’s new weekend family drama Golden Years of My Life, also starring Lee So-yeon (Why Did You Come To Our House?). The drama is drawing attention with its writer-director combo: Surgeon Bong Dal-hee writer Lee Jung-seok and Trap of Youth PD Kwan Rok-eui. It follows the currently airing Woman of Matchless Beauty, Park Jung-geum.

Meanwhile, Seo Hyo-rim (little sis from Insoon is Pretty) has been cast with Song Hye-gyo and Hyun Bin in their upcoming KBS2 series The World They Live In, directed by Full House (and Insoon) PD Pyo Min-soo. The drama starts filming at the end of July and plans to air in November.

Finally, Moon Jung-hee, currently in SBS’s Friday drama My Sweet Seoul, has lined up her next project as SBS’s new morning drama Daughter-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law, to follow Aquarius. She’s the daughter-in-law who works through issues with the new in-laws in this “warm” family drama, starting July 21.

Via OSEN, Star News, My Daily, Sports Chosun, No Cut News

SONG OF THE DAY

Lee Seung-gi – “미련한 사랑” (love that won’t let go) [ Download ]

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1 Dahee Fanel

July 9, 2008 at 11:36 AM

Wow, talk about confusing...

I can actually see why Lee Seung Gi wouldn't want to leave 1 Night, 2 Days. It's pretty huge right now, and pulling in some really impressive ratings. And he's really popular because of it. Iljimae, on the other hand, doesn't look like it'll be a success on the same level, and I can easily see him gaining some anti-fans if his acting proves to be unimpressive.

But what the heck is going on with Triple??

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2 whaleatape

July 9, 2008 at 11:50 AM

I didn't know Min Hyo Rin was going to go into acting. I kind of look forward to watching her in a drama although I won't expect much from her. And I seriously think the term "luxury nose" is infinitely queer. But you must admit that she and Han Ga In do possess nice noses ^^

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3 belleza

July 9, 2008 at 1:41 PM

Oh I hate Min Hyo Rin's nose. Everytime I see it, I keep thinking of the Dark Crystal, which creeped the bleep out of me when I was a kid. So, I'll be watching Triple in a fetal position.

I'm kinda stunned and a little disappointed that Moon So Ri is doing a w/end family drama. This is like Meryl Streep or Juliette Binoche joining the cast of the J.O.N.A.S. (squeeee!!!!)

Actually watching the SBS Illjimae has made me really look forward to another treatment of this material. There's a lot of room to make it more of a conventional fusion saguek (I know I know "conventional fusion", but George Bush is still our president so . . . . whateva i say what i want!) , and go in a different direction with this material. I'd also like to see somebody redo Hong Gil Dong, especially covering the bit where Gil Dong tries to find his own kingdom.

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4 Annie

July 9, 2008 at 6:36 PM

^ Min Hyo Rin's nose is nice, but it doesn't match her other features. It looks so out of place on her face. I'm pretty disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing Min Hyo Rin and Jung Il woo together. Triple's plot sounds alot more refreshing than watching iljimae again. Jun Ki's iljimae definitely has an advantage over this. Since it was aired first. Even if the plot is differnet, who wants to watch the same story over again? boring. Bad move, Jung Il woo.

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5 HyAena

July 9, 2008 at 7:45 PM

Too bad about Iljimae. I wanted to see Lee Seung Gi try his hand at a major role like that. Unfortunately, if he's leaving then I really doubt I'll watch it. I'm watching the SBS version, and while it's not perfect, I don't need to see the same story twice.

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6 Cherry

July 9, 2008 at 7:56 PM

^ arghhh I also wanted to watch Lee Seung Gi in Iljimae...and I was interested in watching PD Lee Yoon Jung direct another series...but I don't know what's going to happen to both shows now. Jung Il Woo didn't appeal to me as a saguek character...but who knows? Maybe the ratings will turn out differently.

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7 haj

July 9, 2008 at 8:14 PM

hm. don't like jung il woo, dont even thing he's hot...
but i LOVE LOVE the iljimae thats on now. i also LOVE lee junki^^ i just dont understand how a human can be so sexy. him and gong yoo have some sort of super power in that aspect:D

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8 mooray

July 9, 2008 at 9:24 PM

Uggh, I'm weak == I'm going to watch Iljimae now (and I always wanted to watch Triple)

Oh, and does this mean he'll have 2 dramas running in a row?

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9 Felicity

July 9, 2008 at 9:55 PM

Hey...Lee Seung Gi looks a bit like Gong Yoo up there, or maybe it's just the expression.

Jung Il Woo is bailing from Triple to star in MBC's Iljimae...risky move. Jung Il Woo looks too uh, soft and refined to play a saeguk hero. But then again, so is Lee Jun Ki and people seem to dig *his* Iljimae. So who knows, lol. It could be a hit, depends on how MBC approaches this - campy version2 or traditional saeguk?

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10 eevee

July 9, 2008 at 11:58 PM

i love seung gi and i wanted to see him so badly. junki's iljimae isnt doing much for me either. its okay, i fast forward to all the good parts, but thats about it.

but i think ur wrong about this. if u know seung gi at all, u will know he is a very loyal person. he has been with the cast of 1 night 2 days for a long time now. and of course he is happy he got more popular. he probably made lots of friends and all.
so he will feel bad to ditch the project out of the blue for a "unknown" acting career. plus with more and more "robin hood" dramas coming out right now, there are low ratings and horrible critics about them, no new actor should take a chance and gamble with his acting premiere. any sane person would think this through and realize its quite risky.

BS is a very strong word dramabeans.

seung gi is just being smart. and im willing to wait until he feels comfortable to begin his acting career.

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11 Sue

July 10, 2008 at 7:02 AM

have you watched 1 night 2 days?? it's no longer just a variety stint. i think he & his management made a very wise choice not to do this iljimae.

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12 cj

July 10, 2008 at 8:04 AM

^^ eevee, if he was a "loyal" person, wouldn't he continue with the drama he signed on months ago to do instead of dropping out at the last moment?

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13 amy

July 12, 2008 at 2:32 AM

I'm very unhappy about Jung Il-woo playing Iljimae role. I wish so bad that Lee Joon-ki played MBC version of Iljimae but it didn't work out that way so I was hoping maybe the other Lee would be a good Iljimae but Jung Il-woo??? This is just so sad...

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14 zue

August 29, 2009 at 1:04 AM

I think they should continue "2 days 1night" more longer... I really Like it.. Especially Lee Seunggi...

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Triple