News bites: December 6, 2014

by awcoconuts

Kim Soo-hyun

• Sniff, it will be a while longer before everyone’s favorite alien professor returns to the small screen; Kim Soo-hyun has turned down the lead in Dr. Frankenstein, in which he would’ve played the brilliant hero with exceptional medical abilities but a split personality. Given that there’s already a handful of dramas dealing with multiple personality disorders on the schedule for the first half of 2015, this may have been a smart move for Kim — but that doesn’t make the waiting any easier. [Joongang]
• Loyal viewers of Three Meals a Day are being rewarded with an extension: Originally slated for eight episodes, two more episodes have been added (the first of which aired last night, and teased Lee Seung-gi as Lee Seo-jin and Taecyeon’s last guest), and the show will conclude with a highlight/director’s cut episode on December 19, similar to how Youths Over Flowers ended. Na PD said he envisions Three Meals a Day being a seasonal program, but that they’ll take a little time off before starting up again. Why do I get the feeling that the lack of details about upcoming seasons is all part of his diabolical plan to keep his favorite torture subjects on their toes? [Dailian, Newsis]


Kim Ok-bin, Lee Hee-joon

• Lee Hee-joon and Kim Ok-bin of Yoo-na’s Street (they played Chang-man and Yoo-na) have continued their relationship offscreen; their reps have confirmed the two are dating in real life, and are currently taking in the sights of Europe together. Congratulations to the new couple! [Osen]
• Park Shin-yang has turned down the role of a father in the upcoming body-swap comedy, Dad and Daughter, but I can’t be too sad about the news, because the offer has now gone to Ryu Seung-ryong, who would be so good in the film (he absolutely slayed me with his performance as a tender dad in Gift of Room 7). I have no doubt he can pull off another touching (albeit more comedic) fatherly role, but I can’t get too excited yet, as his reps would only confirm that he received the offer. While previous reports indicated that Kim So-hyun (Reset) had already confirmed she’d play the daughter, current articles have backtracked and state that she is still positively considering. It would be a hoot to watch these two “swap bodies” — fingers crossed! [Star News]


Hwang Jung-min, Jo Seung-woo

• Hwang Jung-min (Peninsula) and Jo Seung-woo (God’s Gift — 14 Days) have been cast in the Japanese musical Okepi, which will open next December at LG Arts Center. (That’s December 2015, but at least that gives you some time to plan a trip?) It will be the Korean premiere of Okepi, which was Kōki Mitani’s award-winning debut musical in 2001. It’s not certain yet if they’ve been double-cast as the same character or if they will be onstage together in different roles. [Dong A]
• Noh Young-hak (Triangle) has confirmed he’ll play the second son of King Seonjo, Prince Gwanghae, in KBS’s upcoming sageuk drama Jingbirok. He played the younger version of Gwanghaegun in Goddess of Fire Jung-yi, so it will be interesting to see him in the role again — and fun to watch how Jingbirok will portray the often-represented historical figure. Having already cast Kim Sang-joong (Bad Guys) as the scholar/official Ryu Seong-ryong and Kim Tae-woo (God’s Gift – 14 Days) as King Seonjo, the production still needs to cast Admiral Lee Soon-shin (that’s a tall order; I can’t imagine many actors are eager to follow Choi Min-shik’s formidable performance as the Korean war hero in the record-breaking movie of all time, Roaring Currents). Jingbirok will air sometime in the first half of 2015. [Star News]


Noh Young-hak, Han Sang-jin

• Han Sang-jin (Birth of a Beauty) is positively considering a role in Jekyll and Me, the upcoming SBS drama starring Hyun Bin as a chaebol heir with dueling personalities: He can be a coldhearted, raging monster one second, and a kind, sweet angel the next. If Han Sang-jin accepts, he’ll play a rival to Hyun Bin’s conflicted hero. The Wednesday-Thursday drama will air after the conclusion of Pinocchio in January. [Osen]
• The first stills have been released from Heart to Heart, tvN’s newest Friday-Saturday drama about a woman with a severe blushing problem, Choi Kang-hee (Level 7 Civil Servant), and a psychiatrist, Chun Jung-myung (Reset), who turns into a recluse after his brother’s death. The heroine takes to dressing up as a grandmother in order to avoid people (she doesn’t look so much a granny in these stills as she does a bohemian bag lady) and the good doctor gives off a far-from-introverted vibe as he is dressed sharply in a gray suit with an unseen guest (date?) at a fancy restaurant. The romance that begins between the leads is being described as a “mental cure” for both, so that sounds healthy and encouraging, and the fact that the show is being directed by Lee Yoon-jung (Coffee Prince) is a plus. Heart to Heart premieres January 2. [Osen]

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