News bites: December 14, 2022

Park Eun-bin (Extraordinary Attorney Woo) is currently in talks for Desert Island Diva (roughly translated), a Cast Away-esque story that has our aspiring singer heroine finally being found after 15 years lost on a deserted island. The rom-com marks the newest collaboration by PD Oh Choong-hwan (Big Mouth) and writer Park Hye-ryun (Pinnochio), who worked together twice before on Start-Up and While You Were Sleeping. Filming is set to begin once casting has been finalized. [Sports Chosun]

The first poster has arrived for Brain Cooperation and our brain scientist hero Jung Yong-hwa (Sell Your Haunted House) is here to save his swooning damsel Cha Tae-hyun (Police University). Written by Park Kyung-sun with PD Lee Jin-seo (Revolutionary Sisters) and PD Gu Sung-joon co-directing, the investigative comedy will be setting off the new year with a January 2 premiere. [KBS]

Netflix confirmed the college romance Doona! (previously The Girl Downstairs) in their upcoming lineup, starring Suzy (Anna) and Yang Se-jong (My Country: The New Age) in his first post-army project. Directed by PD Lee Jung-hyo (Crash Landing on You) with scripts by Jang Yoo-ha, the webtoon adaptation follows a retired idol as she starts life anew by going back to school and finding love with one of her housemates. [Sports Chosun]
The office romance Race, on the other hand, has been picked up by Disney+, headlined by Lee Yeon-hee (Welcome to Wedding Hell ), Hong Jong-hyun (Stock Struck), Moon Sori (On the Verge of Insanity), and Yunho (Meloholic). Slated to air in the early half of 2023, production is being led by writer Kim Ru-ri (Hyena) and PD Lee Dong-yoon (Sunbae, Don’t Put on that Lipstick). [News1]

Lee Yeon-hee, Hong Jong-hyun, Moon Sori, Yunho

Continuing to explore the horizons outside of South Korea, Shim Eun-kyung (Money Game) confirmed joining the cast of Japanese drama I Should Have Said 1 Million Times (Hyakuman Kai Ieba Yokatta) in the part of neurosurgeon Song Ha-young. The supernatural mystery-romance will be releasing on TBS in January 2023. [News1]
Lee Jung-eun (Yonder) crossed the borders as well, appearing in the first episode of Apple TV’s Little America (Season 2), which aired last week on December 9. It’s another (deservedly) busy year for actor Lee, who will soon be returning to our screens in tvN’s Missing: The Other Side 2 in addition to the Netflix series Daily Dose of Sunshine. [News1]
New character stills and a poster have been released for SBS’s Payback (previously Law Money), featuring Lee Seon-kyun (Dr. Brain) in a mullet that my eyes regret seeing and a steely Moon Chae-won (Flower of Evil). The legal revenge drama premieres next month on January 6 with scripts penned by Kim Won-seok (Man to Man) and filmmaker Lee Won-tae (The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil) at the helm. [News1 (1), (2), Osen]