News bites: April 23, 2016

by sassychef

Lee Min-ho, Park Shin-yang

• Lee Min-ho (the younger one, not THE Lee Min-ho), is continuing his upward climb. Lee will star in the upcoming Chinese movie The Bittersweet, which is already in post-production. The Bittersweet is an action thriller/melodrama about a brother and sister who are tragically separated during youth, only to be reunited as adults. Lee spoke in Chinese in the movie and recorded five of the songs for the movie’s OST in both Chinese and Korean. He will also be starring in F Team (in pre-production), an action-adventure movie about a group of racers that will air on China’s Guangdong TV later this year. The busy actor also had a role in the suspense thriller Time Renegade, which is currently in theaters. [Star News]
• Park Shin-yang (Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho) may be prepping to make his comeback to the big screen in a movie tentatively titled Two Wives, about a man who fights to find the wife who gets kidnapped while traveling through Cambodia. Park has not yet confirmed as to whether or not he’ll accept the role, but is said to be reviewing director Song Hae-sung’s (Boomerang Family, Maundy Thursday) project favorably. [Sports Chosun]
• Well, which is it? On April 19, it was first reported that Entourage has been confirmed for a Friday-Saturday late-night timeslot on tvN, but a mere hour later, it was reported that the show’s timeslot is still undecided. The remake of the wildly popular HBO original will star Seo Kang-joon as the movie star, with his entourage played by Lee Kwang-soo, Park Jung-min , and Lee Dong-hwi. The show is looking to broadcast simultaneously in Korea and China, and although the timeslot is still up in the air, the filming for the show will begin in late May. (Supposedly). [Sports Chosun, Sports DongA]


Moon Ji-in, Kim Kang-hyun

• We’ve got a couple more names to add to the cast of SBS’s upcoming drama Doctors. Moon Ji-in has been confirmed to join the cast as Park Shin-hye’s loyal BFF, and will play a pivotal role in starting the ongoing rivalry between Park and Lee Sung-kyung. Although Moon has only been in very minor roles thus far, she has makes them memorable; she played a ditzy nurse in Yong-pal and a cute informant in Village: Secret of Achiara. Joining Moon is Kim Kang-hyun (Jeon Ji-hyun’s manager in You From Another Star), a funny character actor who got his start in theater. Doctors is set to air in June. [Xports News, ET News]
• Rude Miss Young-ae returns for its 15th season! This makes the show one of Korea’s longest-running dramas in history. The tvN workplace mockumentary centers around Kim Hyun-sook and the ups and downs she experiences with her friends and co-workers. The drama’s renewal for another season will see a new writer at the helm, garnering much interest as to how this may change the direction of the show. [Joongang]


Moon Ji-yoon, Han So-young, Kang Tae-hwan

• More casting news for How Are You Bread: Moon Ji-yoon (Cheese in the Trap), Han So-young (Dazzling Temptation), and Kang Tae-hwan (Doctor Stranger) are confirmed to join the cast. The web drama is about a mysterious pastry chef (Suho), who creates one-of-a-kind pastries each morning to grant people their wishes, and a screenwriter who infiltrates the bakery to get the real scoop. Moon Ji-yoon plays a mysterious guardian angel of sorts to Suho, who disguises himself as different characters every day to stay close and keep Suho protected. Han will exude confidence as the beautiful and sexy PR manager of a large confectionery factory, while Kang will portray the prince of patisserie who used to be Suho’s roommate while studying abroad. The drama is set to air sometime this year. [Xports News]
• After a two-year hiatus from the small screen, Jeon Seok-ho (Misaeng) is confirmed to return to tvN as a prosecutor in The Good Wife. Jeon’s first breakout role came in the 2014 movie, Intruders, then went on to win over audiences playing Kang So-ra’s douchey manager in Misaeng. Jeon also has three movies — Lucid Dream, Kim Seon-dal, and Familyhood — that are slated to premiere in theaters later this year. [Osen]


Jeon Seok-ho, Irene

• Irene from Red Velvet is confirmed to make her acting debut in the web drama The Female Employees of a Game Company as the female lead. As a timid game programmer with a direct approach, Irene will be joined by a quirky graphic designer (Lee Min-ji) and the charismatic game developer (Lee Ji-yeon). The web drama is about the three female employees, and the office hijinks that are sure to ensue. The Female Employees of a Game Company is slated to premiere in June. [Xports News]
• There’s a little more news on the upcoming drama from writer Park Kyung-soo of critically acclaimed dramas Punch, Empire of Gold, The Chaser. The subject of his new series for SBS has been changed from doctors to cops, and the title will be Advance (as in, advance on enemy troops). It’s set to follow Doctors on Mondays and Tuesdays in August. [Osen]
• Writer Noh Hee-kyung just completed her last script for her upcoming drama, Dear My Friends. Noh is no stranger when it comes to churning out hit dramas (It’s Okay, It’s Love; That Winter, the Wind Blows; Padam Padam, just to name a few), and with a bragworthy list of veteran actors headlining the drama, anticipation remains high for the series whose characters live by the anthem “We’re still alive. It’s not over yet!” [Xports News]

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