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Beautiful Mind holds test shoots without lead actress

I’ll try not to be alarmist about this, but it’s difficult to follow the news of KBS’s upcoming Beautiful Mind and not think it’s going worryingly awry. Recent reports have stated that the drama, which is set to premiere next month and hasn’t secured a lead actress yet, went ahead and held a test shoot and an initial script read without one. Eek, right?

Quick summary: The drama took a while to find a leading man in Jang Hyuk (Master of Trade—Merchant 2015); previously titled Dr. Frankentstein, the many names tossed around as contenders to headline include Kim Soo-hyun, Yoo Ah-in, Lee Jong-seok, and Choi Jin-hyuk. But once Jang was finally in place, it seemed the production was charging full steam ahead, securing second leads and supporting cast members. “Monster rookie” and It Girl Park So-dam (Because It’s the First Time, The Priests) was announced as a contender, but never confirmed. With the clock ticking, KBS scheduled a four-episode mini-drama, Baek-hee Has Returned, and bought two more weeks for Beautiful Mind.

According to a source with the KBS drama department, test shoots were held with the main and supporting cast, minus a leading lady, and a teaser was shot as well. KBS quickly countered with a statement that they do have an actress unofficially selected (“But we’re not yet at the stage where we can disclose it”), and that “everything is proceeding smoothly,” and “there will be no problems with shooting schedule.” A high-ranking executive with the drama department stated the drama would begin filming at the end of this month. (The drama premieres on June 20! How can you start filming in late May? How is this not a problem.)

Meanwhile, a representative with Park So-dam’s agency stated that she has not yet confirmed Beautiful Mind. Part of the hold-up is due to the fact that Park is currently filming a different project, youth romance Cinderella and the Four Knights, which stars Jung Il-woo and will be a fully pre-produced drama series.

Jang Hyuk is likewise also juggling other work; he is reportedly busy with activities in China and will be back in Korea mid-May, at which point the series will hold its official script reading with the full cast. I hope that includes a leading actress.

Beautiful Mind follows a brilliant neurosurgery expert (Jang Hyuk) with a brain injury that renders him unable to feel emotions or empathy, who then becomes healed through love, while also working through the mystery of the sudden and curious deaths of his patients. It airs on KBS as a Monday-Tuesday drama beginning June 20. Probably.

Via IS Plus, TV Report, Star News, Osen, My Daily

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Huh. Shall we stay away from this drama? It looks like a hot mess already.

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My thoughts, too, but then maybe they can save it from being a mess and just make it hot? I'm all for Park So Dam and Jang Hyuk - that part will work if they can get it together.

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man this sure seems like beautiful mess

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Reject, Park So Dam. Reject!
One less onscreen couple with a significant age gap.

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Haha I don't care who is the female lead, as long as Jang Hyuk is in, I am in :)

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This has me terribly worried for a show I will probably never watch.

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Eeeek, looks like the whole drama will end up being live shot, I feel sorry for the actors and staff already.
This production really is a drama itself, time to call Anthony I'd say. ;)

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Messy..
Not enough with his so called trading drama, Merchant something.. Now, this ?

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Plus his activities in china,
does he have a time to rest or see his family!

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I will still watch cos I love the cast, will support them

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Gosh why they stick to her like a glue??? Change actress then. She's not the only one here gosh. >_<

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I am still gonna watch this, but i hope she decline and cast an older female actress she looks so young for the role, but considering she didn't decline till now there is a possibility that she will accept

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Why don't they get someone talented like Yoo In-Young who should have got her big break like yesterday! She and Jang Hyuk will look great together...

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@vongole
Or the other Yoo, Yoo Ina who should really get a good part on one of the big three.

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Oh yes, like her too.

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Maybe they want to promote her. She looks like the cheese in the trap actress. Now very common to pair young actress with older actor eg marriage contract

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Are they trying to cast a very young woman in order to get younger viewers? Is it a budget issue, where a younger actress costs less? Or, is it some sort of James Bond style sexism/ageism where a beautiful young woman (sex object) is preferable to an experienced, more mature woman?

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Although there are quite a number of pre-produced dramas like DOTS, Scarlet Heart, Saimdang, Hwarang, etc, the producers and K-drama industry must not forget there are still dramas with liveshooting system. I feel bad for the cast and the staff already knowing they would pull overnight schedule and maybe too tired to produce quality show.

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..Beautiful Mind follows a brilliant neurosurgery expert (Jang Hyuk) with a brain injury..

Ugh!
Brilliant neurosurgery with brain injury??? There won't be any brain fetus gummy bear thingy inside his head right?!?!?!
*runfarandaway*
*traumatizedbyJin*

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Actually the show slated to take over Entertainer will be even more rushed than this, wouldn't it? After Deal fell through, they are still rushing to find a replacement for it. And that one premieres before this one.

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Well the casts so far are experienced actors, so they will know what to do. At least u don't get young idols trying out acting.
The storyline sounds interesting

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Honestly, they should just air DOTS reruns to give them more time to shoot. I bet they'd still pull in mega ratings.

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Ha! This is exactly what I was thinking as I was reading the story. Doing that might actually work out well for the network.

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Even if DotS episodes got 50% their initial... they'd clobber most contenders.

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Why do their attempt to say everything is ok makes me feel like something IS NOT ok?? This sounds like id be ultra live shooting... I hope its true they have the female lead selected cuz if they dont, they might not even hold that script reading on time and lose that time slot...

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This drama is a mess of epic proportions. Man I'm almost ready to wager my whole bank account while betting that this drama will tank. How is it possible for things to be this bad? No lead actor for years (literally). They don't have a lead actress yet and everyone in contention seems busy with something else. Now KBS will be airing a mini drama to give this one time - only it'll start about 2-3 weeks before airing. What a disaster.

The producers of this drama must have some big connection. How else could KBS not have scheduled another one despite all these issues?

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The Next KBS Drama hit will be in 2025, they're really bad,

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Do they seriously think a frontal lobe injury male is likely to form new neural pathways after falling in love? And be cured? After being likely diagnosed post acquired brain injury. I presume it's not brain tumour. Either way if we follow that logic- why do all the real life frontal lobe injuries patients remain the freaking same after the diagnosis? Using ABI as the main cause. God what am I even THINKING? Since this is a Kdrama. I am just thinking of ABI patients with relatives. I presume none of the patients actually love any of their families then. Duh stupid writer.

All I want to say is can't everyone just fire all the idiotic brainless casting directors? No one seems to be operating with a modicum of thinking, ethics or logic. Between the slew of age inappropriate casting, change of actors everywhere. Funding or pay. Wrongly timed announcements. I have this image of sleazy late night bar schmoozing while doing the castings? Can't we fire everyone instead and start with people who actually cast actors who can act and are free to act that role? And suit that role?

I am now trying to work out which drama I can actually watch now for the next few months for plot, acting and directing. Since they either keep switching dramas, gives us such age difference casting or bad drama plots ie this one.

Man... seriously. Which dramas are left? God of noodle actually ends up sounding normal to watch now.

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The front lobe injury getting healed by love thing is ridiculous, yeah. And in most cases people with frontal lobe injuries aren't even capable of things like managing their impulses, planning, behaving in socially acceptable manner etc, so they definitely can't be doctors.

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I know right? I have seen a few without impulse control and it's kind of scary- no offense intended. I have stepped too close before within arms reach and been grabbed. But you can't blame them as they literally do not have the capability. Main reason I stopped wearing spectacles at work.

Emotionless which is what the drama aims for seems improbable.

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I want to see Jang Hyuk and Oh Yeon Seo team up again. Probably not in this though...

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Drama miracles like Kill Me Heal Me only happen once in half a lifetime so I'm worried about this drama and expect it to burn in flames, which was my initial thoughts for Kill Me Heal Me. That drama ended up being a whole boatload of awesome pants thankfully. I don't think I'll be watching this though, unless I hear rumblings of awesomeness. Till then, good luck to Jang Hyuk. I hope you will come out of this alive.

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hmm will Jang Nara did save KBS when she took on Baby Faced Beauty on pretty short notice when the actress they where after turned it down on pretty short notice, though nothing like this! And it seems her chinese film was only a rumor that she has since said she knows nothing about and is in korea right now with her 15 year fan meetings and a award or something for her public service, so she maybe free, but even with the plus of acting again with Jang Hyuk who would blame her for turning it down even if she was offered it. I can only think Park So-dam company is playing a rather dangerous game of chicken with KBS by not rejecting the offer outright at such a late stage. Unless it all not some sort of crazy promotion stunt

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After DOTS this dry spell has been big enough for me to watch any reasonably good drama. Hope this one is good enough because currently nothing interesting is airing.
I do have high hopes from Entertainer but waiting for atleast 8 episodes to air before i start watching it.
Waiting every week for an episode ti air is not my cup of tea and i've already withstood that torture with DOTS.

That's the dilemma for me when a series like DOTS which is soooooo good ends, i want every series to match upto to those expectations and when the rest of the series are no where near it. it becomes kinda depressing.

Currently rewatching Arand and the magistrate, one of the fav series.

June looks promising so.....fingers crossed !!

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does jang hyuk ever rest?

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