News bites: August 13, 2016

by awcoconuts

Jo Jin-woong, Bae Soo-bin

• He’s currently filming Sheriff, and he’s already agreed to reunite with director Yoon Jong-bin again (Kundo: Age of the Rampant): Jo Jin-woong is completing my dream cast by joining Lee Sung-min, Hwang Jung-min and Joo Ji-hoon in Maneuver. I wish the details on the film weren’t so stingy (all we’ve been told repeatedly is that it’ll be based on a true story about a joint project between North and South Koreans), but at least he’s keeping himself so busy I’ll barely feel the wait. He’ll film tvN’s Entourage remake and the movie Admiral Kim Chang-soo before starting work on Maneuver. [Star News]
• Adding to the cast of handsome faces, Bae Soo-bin (Twinkle Twinkle My Heart) joins Enemy Soldier as a warrior/royal guard. He’ll join forces with Lee Jung-jae to protect the crown prince (Yeo Jin-gu), and filming will begin at the end of August. Enemy Soldier is targeting a 2017 release. [Sports Chosun]
• While Defendant (the drama that’ll be written by Choi Su-jin of City Hunter and will be directed by Jo Young-kwang of Hyde, Jekyll, Me) was originally supposed to follow Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart: Goryeo on SBS in the fall, the station has tweaked its Monday-Tuesday lineup. Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim, starring Han Seok-kyu, Seo Hyun-jin and Yoo Yeon-seok, will air on the heels of Moon Lovers, and will be followed by Defendant and then Advance. The latter has transformed from a medical to a cop show, and is still courting Lee Bo-young to star. [Joongang]


Jang Hyun-sung, Jin Kyung

• Woman With a Suitcase has firmed up its supporting cast: Jang Hyun-sung (Doctors, Signal) is a famed chief prosecutor who now heads up a law firm. He’s a powerful person who knows the intimate secrets of his VIP clients. Jin Kyung (Uncontrollably Fond) is a shit-stirring lawyer who says what she wants, when she wants, and she’ll frequently go head-to-head with Choi Ji-woo throughout the show. Park Byung-eun (Assassination) is a negotiator and mysterious character who seems like an everyday ajusshi until he’s on the job — that’s when he’ll turn steely. Min Sung-wook (Beautiful Mind, Six Flying Dragons) is a prosecutor whom Choi Ji-woo and Joo Jin-mo will encounter in the courtroom, and Kim Byung-choon is Choi’s assistant/office manager. Woman With a Suitcase will take the timeslot vacated by Monster on SBS in September. [Osen, Joy News 24]
• The script is finally complete for the third film of the Face Reader trilogy, and producer Jupiter Films is currently searching for two male actors in their late thirties to mid-forties to lead the blockbuster that has a rumored budget of 10 billion won. About two men and their secret feud to become king, Auspicious Grave will conclude the three-part saga launched by 2013’s Face Reader, which starred Song Kang-ho, Lee Jung-jae, Kim Hye-soo, Jo Jung-seok, and Lee Jong-seok. The second in the series, Compatibility, stars Shim Eun-kyung and Lee Seung-gi and will be released during the winter holidays. Pre-production on Auspicious Grave will begin in October and filming will start next February. [Joongang, Osen]
• MBC has decided to extend All’s Well With a Happy Home, the weekend drama starring Lee Pil-mo, Kim So-yeon, and Lee Sang-woo, by an episode. One episode had been preempted due to the Rio Olympics and the show will now conclude with episode 51 on August 21. Blow Breeze‘s premiere has been pushed back a week to August 27. [Xports News]


Lee Dong-hwi, Lee Yuri, Lee Sang-yub, Jeon Hye-bin

• ‘Tis the season for KBS’s drama specials, and ten in total will air between the end of August to early September. Here are updates on a select few:
  • First up is Legendary Shuttle, which stars Lee Ji-hoon, Seo Ji-hoon and Kim Jin-woo in a comedy about a transfer student who overcomes bullying. Yoo Oh-sung (Uncontrollably Fond), comedians Yoo Min-sang and Ryu Dahm, and broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo will all pop in for cameos.
  • Lee Dong-hwi and Jung So-min are the leads in Red Teacher, a story set in the 1980s. It’s about a novel that was deemed communist propaganda and banned for its provocative nature.
  • In Pinocchio’s Nose, Lee Yuri is a psychologist who suspects her father (of what, the articles don’t say). The prosecutor story also stars Lee Ha-yool.
  • Human drama One Summer Dream is about a single father, stars Kim Hee-won, Kim Ga-eun, and Ryu Seung-soo (Beautiful Mind), and will feature a cameo from comedienne Kim Hyun-sook.
  • Lee Joo-seung and Kang Min-ah are the leads for youthful coming-of-age special World Without Sympathy.
  • Jeon Hye-bin and Park Byung-eun star in Noodle Shop Woman, in which a guy who gives up on becoming a writer meets the woman from his sunbae’s novels. Kim Tae-woo will make a guest appearance.

  
  Song Yoon-ah, Taecyeon, Kim Jae-hyun

  • In fantasy melo My Happy Home, a woman will turn the man she loves into a cyborg. (That sounds a little wacky, but it’s a drama special, so anything is fair game.) Lee Sang-yub, Sohn Yeo-eun, and Park Hana are the leads, while Song Yoon-ah and Taecyeon will guest appear in support of their Assembly director Choi Yoon-seok. Lee Il-hwa will drop in for a cameo as well. [DongA, My Daily]
• In his acting debut, Kim Jae-hyun (of rock group N.Flying, and little brother to Rainbow’s Kim Jae-kyung) joins the cast of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju as a swim team staff member and friend of the male lead (Nam Joo-hyuk). He has a habit of dating women, then ghosting them, and thus is hated by all his female peers. The drama will be written by Yang Hee-seung (Oh My Ghostess, High School King of Savvy), directed by Oh Hyun-jong (A Daughter Like You, A New Leaf) and will premiere in November on MBC. [Joongang]

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