One of the most anticipated works of the year, actor Byun Woo-seok and singer-actress IU's new drama '21st Century The Grand Prince's Wife' is under consideration for scheduling next year.

According to reports from OSEN on the 8th, the new MBC drama '21st Century The Grand Prince's Wife' (tentative title, written by Yoo Ah-in, directed by Park Jun-hwa), starring Byun Woo-seok and IU, is discussing scheduling for the first half of next year. Prior to that, by the end of this year, the drama 'Judge Lee Han-young' starring Ji Sung is also under consideration for scheduling.

Accordingly, following 'The Moon in the Water', starring Kang Tae-oh and Kim Se-jeong, Ji Sung's 'Judge Lee Han-young' will be aired, and '21st Century The Grand Prince's Wife' is expected to be scheduled following 'Judge Lee Han-young'.

'21st Century The Grand Prince's Wife' is a work that has garnered high expectations as it brings together Byun Woo-seok, who created a sensation with 'Jumping with Sunjae' last year, and IU, who has established herself with strong performances in hits like 'Moon Lovers', 'My Mister', and 'Hotel Del Luna'. Expectations rose when production company Kakao Entertainment announced MBC's scheduling news, stating the work is set to be unveiled within the year.

However, when MBC announced its new drama lineup for 2025 on the 8th of last month, the absence of '21st Century The Grand Prince's Wife' raised confusion. Subsequently, on the 18th, Kakao Entertainment released the 2025 lineup, which included MBC's drama '21st Century The Grand Prince's Wife', sparking anticipation about whether viewers would get to see IU and Byun Woo-seok's next projects this year, although scheduling has not been finalized.

Regarding the scheduling of '21st Century The Grand Prince's Wife', an MBC representative stated, 'The tentative title '21st Century The Grand Prince's Wife' is being prepared for a broadcast target of 2025, but scheduling is currently undecided.'

Meanwhile, '21st Century The Grand Prince's Wife' is set against the backdrop of a constitutional monarchy in 21st century South Korea. It depicts the romantic story of a woman, Seong Hee-joo, who is a wealthy heiress but feels frustrated as she has the status of merely a commoner, and a man, Lee An-dae-gun, who is a king's son but can possess nothing and feels sorrowful.

Byun Woo-seok takes on the role of Lee An-dae-gun in the constitutional monarchy of 21st century South Korea as the male lead, while IU plays Seong Hee-joo, the second daughter of the top-ranked conglomerate, born with silver spoons, possessing beauty, intelligence, and an insatiable competitive spirit, as the female lead.

Furthermore, after the news that director Park Jun-hwa will be at the helm as the main director, expectations have risen even further. Park Jun-hwa is known for his stable direction in the romance comedy genre and has successfully directed several works including 'My Sweet Life', 'Let's Eat', 'What's Wrong with Secretary Kim', and 'Alchemy of Souls'. Recently, he directed the tvN drama 'Love Is A One Way Bridge'.

[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by MBC