Lee Young-ae in talks for Dae Jang Geum sequel

by girlfriday

Okay, I’ll believe this when I see it, because it’s going to take a lot to wrangle a star like Lee Young-ae back to the small screen, and in a repeat of the role that has made her beloved the world over, no less. But anyway, the rumor is out that Lee is considering (or reconsidering, technically) the sequel to one of the most popular k-dramas ever, Dae Jang Geum aka Jewel in the Palace.

The original Dae Jang Geum aired on MBC back in 2003-2004, and went on to become one of the most successful k-drama exports, well, ever. It has been exported to nearly thirty countries, translated into multiple languages, and domestically it netted 57% ratings at its peak. Suffice to say, it’s the k-drama juggernaut. The sequel is one of those projects that has been in development since the dawn of time, once postponed back in 2009 when Lee announced that she wouldn’t be reprising her role.

There’s pretty much no Dae Jang Geum without Lee Young-ae, so her return to the project would be the only thing to revive it at this point. The thing is, veteran PD Lee Byung-hoon (who went on to do Yi San and Dong Yi) is gearing up for what people have been saying will be his last drama, another medical sageuk due out later this year. But he has said that he’d delay his retirement for Dae Jang Geum 2.

If Lee does return to acting, it’ll be her first project since 2005’s Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. She has since gotten married and is now the mother of twins.

If the stars align, Dae Jang Geum 2 might hit the air this coming September-October on MBC.

Via Sports Khan

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