Starting with Lee Byung-hun and Song Hye-kyo, IU and Byun Woo-seok..Kakao Entertainment unveils line-up in 2025
Feb 18, 2025
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Kakao Entertainment announced its plan to continue the popularity of K-dramas and K-movies in the domestic and global markets with a variety of well-made works ranging from IP crossover through dramatization of popular story IP to anticipated works by representative actors in Korea. Kakao Entertainment said, `We have established a stable multi-studio system and proved our competitiveness in the media business with excellent creative studio subsidiaries and actor management labels with global fandom, and we plan to further strengthen our influence as a global studio by introducing a large number of colorful well-made works this year.'
▶ Story: Proving IP crossover synergy by producing well-made dramas based on IP, expanding IP fandom
Kakao Entertainment will speed up its IP crossover project, which plans and produces story IPs such as popular webtoons and web novels as dramas in 2025. Previously, Kakao Entertainment's story IP, such as 'In-house Confrontation'Nam'The Phone You Called Now', was planned and produced as a drama, and it has gained explosive popularity not only in Korea but also in the world, adding to the charm of the original drama but also the differentiated fun of the drama. This year, we plan to introduce a well-made drama based on Kakao Entertainment's popular webtoon, satisfying both original fans and drama fans.
MBC's new Friday-Saturday drama 'Bani and Brothers' (directed by Sung So-eun and Kim Ji-hoon), which will premiere in April, will feature young stars such as Roh Jung-ui, Lee Chae-min, and Cho Joon-young as Barney's boyfriend-seeking romance, which has become involved with attractive men who suddenly approached after their first relationship that has remained in black history. Based on Kakao Webtoon's webtoon of the same name, which accumulated 170 million views, the campus romance of young people will make viewers excited this spring. The Netflix series 'Bad Performance' (directed by Lee Il-hyung), which is scheduled to be released in the second quarter, is a crime thriller about six people who are entangled in a bad relationship that they cannot escape even if they want to. It is also based on Kakao Webtoon's webtoon of the same name, and Kakao Entertainment is drawing attention as it produces with studio labels that have proven their production capabilities with various global hits. On February 27, Between Secrets (played by Lee Yoo-jin, directed by Yang Kyung-hee) will be released exclusively in Korea as a new exclusive series of Watcha. The passionate romance between Daon, who could not live normally, and three men who try to grab him with their respective secrets, is drawing the attention of original fans.
▶ Drama-Movie fans' desire to watch is lined up with anticipated films of actors appearing in `Trust"
The anticipated works of 'Trustbo' actors, which drew the attention of domestic and foreign fans, are also being released in 2025, drawing attention. The Netflix series 'I've been tricked' (played by Lim Sang-chun, scripted by Lim Sang-chun, directed by Kim Won-seok), which unravels the adventurous life of Ae-soon and Kwan-sik who were born in Jeju with four seasons, will be released for the first time on March 7. It will be released every Friday over four weeks, four each. It is a collaboration of brilliant actors such as IU, Park Bo-gum, Moon So-ri, and Park Hae-joon, and director Kim Won-seok of 「When the Camellia Blooms」,"Fight My Way" by Im Sang-chun,"Misaeng","Signal", and"My Mister". Disney+'s original series 'Nine Puzzle' (played by Lee Eun-mi, directed by Yoon Jong-bin) will be released in the first half of this year. A decade ago, Ina, the only witness and incumbent profiler in a pending case, and Han Sam, a high-powered team detective who suspects him to the end, are also raising expectations for a second series directed by Yoon Jong-bin, as they delve into the secrets of a series of murders that began again with a mysterious puzzle piece.
In the third quarter, Kim Go-eun and Park Ji-hyun's Netflix series 'Eunjung and Sangyeon' (played by Song Hye-jin, directed by Cho Young-min) will be released. It is a story about two friends who like and admire each other the most at every moment, and who are jealous, hateful, and intertwined throughout their lives, Eun-jung and Sang-yeon, and the delicate wariness of the two actors will unfold. The SBS drama 「"Sama-gwi" (written by Lee Young-jong and directed by Byun Young-joo) featuring Ko Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon as mothers and sons will also be aired this year. The story of a woman being imprisoned as a serial killer a long time ago, when someone starts a serial murder that imitates her. In addition, IU and Byun Woo-seok's MBC drama 「"21st Century Grand Prince Wife" (pseudonym, Yoo Ah-in's play), which is drawing attention just by the news of casting, will start filming this year with the aim of broadcasting in 2025. Constitutional monarchy in the 21st century Korea, a chaebol with everything, is the son of a woman and a king who is annoyed because his status is only 'common', but he can't have anything, so there is a lot of interest in the chemistry that IU and Byun Woo-seok will show.
In addition, various works such as KBS2 'Eunsu Good Day' by Lee Young-ae, Kim Young-kwang, and Park Yong-woo are also waiting. KBS2 drama 'Eunsu Good Day' (played by Jeon Young-shin, directed by Song Hyun-wook) is a work about a secret and precarious partnership between parents and teachers that began with a bag that was discovered by chance.
Movies starring famous actors are also bringing the theater to life. The film Black Nuns (directed by Kwon Hyuk-jae), which was released in January, tells the story of people who go to prohibited ceremonies to save a boy possessed by a strong evil spirit, has not only surpassed 1.6 million viewers in Korea but also recorded an increase in popularity overseas thanks to its solid story and enthusiastic performances by actors such as Song Hye-kyo, Jeon Yeo-bin, and Lee Jin-wook. In Indonesia, the cumulative audience exceeded 1 million, creating a box office syndrome, and in the Philippines, it topped the box office for two consecutive weeks. Recently, Jungwoo Ha and Kim Nam-gil's crime-tracking film 『Broken" (directed by Kim Jin-hwang) were also released and are meeting audiences on screen. It is a story about the pursuit of Min-tae's anger as he runs to the end to reveal the truth of the night when everything is intertwined, including his brother who returned to the dead body, his wife who disappeared, and a best-selling novel predicting the incident. On top of that, Lee Byung-hun's 'Victory' (directed by Kim Hyung-joo), who overwhelms the screen with explosive acting, is expected to be released on March 26. This is the story of Korea's best Go legend Cho Hoon-hyun (Lee Byung-hun) once again challenging the top with his natural fighting spirit after losing the match against his student.
▶ Kakao Entertainment Entertainment, armed with fresh laughter and fun, is also on standby
Fresh materials and planned entertainment contents are also waiting for this year. The talk show 'Churai Churai', in which Chu Sung-hoon, who bursts out his mouth, explores guests in his own style, will be released every Wednesday at 5 p.m. on Netflix from February 26. Choo Sung-hoon's challenge to be the MC of the talk show, which is gaining support from the MZ generation, is drawing attention. "I'm a single mother, but I want to be in a relationship" on Netflix, which will be released in the first half of this year, is a makeover dating reality show that helps those who are not good at dating for the first time in their lives, and is drawing curiosity among fans with unique dating reality.
Kakao Entertainment will continue to produce and present well-made contents with fresh and diverse materials and genres that can satisfy domestic and global audiences, and will not only strengthen Kakao Entertainment's global studio competitiveness but also expand the global influence of K contents," he said.
lunamoon@sportschosun.com
