ASTORY has announced its 2025-26 project roadmap, attracting significant interest from within and outside the industry.
ASTORY has completed a roadmap for producing a total of seven dramas that encompass various genres, fresh themes, and high artistic quality. The first work to meet viewers will be 'Idol Eye' (tentative title). 'Idol Eye' (tentative title) is a courtroom suspense romantic comedy involving a top-tier star lawyer and an idol who is loathed by the world due to his overzealous fan. The production aims to air in the second half of this year and is currently in the process of filming.
Additionally, ASTORY is accelerating the production of dramas 'Iron Bars,' 'Evil Swarming by the River,' and 'Secret Record of the Suseong Palace,' which will maximize genre characteristics to provide viewers with new entertainment. The lighthearted investigative action drama 'Iron Bars' features a former police bounty hunter, Park Chang, who captures criminals alongside his siblings in an enjoyable, refreshing, and thrilling story. The writer, Kim Jae-young, known for 'Kidnapping Day,' is teaming up again to produce a 12-episode miniseries.
'Evil Swarming by the River,' which continues the lineage of K-occult, is an occult melodrama where a woman living a difficult life as a shaman and a man who has lived a life of violence fight against evil to rescue each other, defying the principles of life and death. Expectations are already high for ASTORY's new tentpole K-occult genre, which produced the globally successful 'Kingdom' series that opened the floodgates for K-zombies.
'Secret Record of the Suseong Palace' tells the story of the writer palace maid, 'Eun-young,' and the devoted reader prince, 'Hyung,' documenting love and secrets. Directed by Park Soo-jin, who worked on dramas 'Why Oh Soo-jae?' and 'The Praise of Death,' together with Eun-mi, a writer discovered through the Korea Creative Content Agency's emerging writer project, the drama is set to captivate viewers at home.
ASTORY's tentpole dramas are also preparing to make their debut. The work that will kick off this new venture is 'Embers,' by writer Park Jae-beom, who established his own genre through the 'Good Doctor,' 'Vincenzo,' and 'The Fiery Priest' series. 'Embers' will unfold the story of an ambitious agent of the National Security Planning Agency, whose life revolves around the country and the organization, as he goes undercover in a broadcasting station to root out spies and confronts his flawed beliefs while grappling with unforgivable sins.
ASTORY is also planning the production of two tentpole works, including 'Embers.' The cyberpunk action drama 'Shaman' (tentative title) and 'Ricky,' a work currently being scripted by writers Jang Young-cheol and Jeong Kyung-soon, are the protagonists. 'Shaman' is set to be a large-scale serialized project that will differentiate itself from Hollywood-style science fiction and will unfold a cyberpunk storyline set against the backdrop of a near-future unified Korea.
Another tentpole drama, 'Ricky,' portrays the hidden stories of wrestlers 'Karate Chop' and 'Park Chigiwang,' who dominated the Japanese pro wrestling scene and sparked a pro wrestling boom in Korea. The unique subject matter, previously unexplored, combined with the heavy writing styles of two experienced writers is expected to resonate deeply with viewers.
Furthermore, ASTORY continues to contribute to the development of domestic dramas. The 'Emerging Writer Debut Program,' which has served as an entrance for new writers for the past ten years since 2016, successfully concluded this year with over 500 works submitted amid enthusiastic support. This program is evaluated as a means to discover creators with fresh ideas and skills and add new trends to the content market. Notably, the dramas 'Flowers Blooming in the Sand' aired in 2023 and 'Evil Swarming by the River' and 'Secret Record of the Suseong Palace,' set to be produced in the second half of this year, are all works by writers selected through the Emerging Writer Debut Program.
Moreover, the public audition for actors, which was held for the first time in the second half of last year, will take place again this year. ASTORY has decided to regularize the audition, similar to the 'Emerging Writer Debut Program' held every spring, to provide more opportunities for talented and passionate aspiring actors to participate in works. Among the actors selected in 2024, two will participate in filming for the new drama 'Idol Eye,' while another actor recently signed an exclusive contract with ASTORY's actor management subsidiary, AIMS Co., Ltd., marking a significant accomplishment. The successful candidates from this audition are expected to be involved in the ASTORY dramas to be produced in the second half of the year.
ASTORY is also actively engaging in IP-based content production. It reported that pre-production for the global remake of the definitive K-drama 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo,' which caused a 'Woo Young-woo syndrome' both domestically and internationally in 2022, is progressing smoothly. Additionally, 'Kidnapping Day,' which has attracted attention as a well-made drama, is confirmed for remakes in three countries. The Japanese version of 'Kidnapping Day' has commenced local filming this month, while the British version is engaged in active script adaptations and focusing on selection for European broadcasting channels and OTT platforms.
In this way, as ASTORY unveils its 2025-26 project roadmap, it continues to lead the revival of K-content while expanding various IP businesses alongside plentiful content, solidifying its position as an innovative global industry leader.
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