News bites: September 5, 2023

The first script reading stills have dropped for KBS’s upcoming weekender Hyo-shim’s Independent Life, showcasing our headstrong heroine UEE (Ghost Doctor) along with the story’s feuding cousins Ha Joon (Missing: The Other Side 2) and Go Joo-won (Haechi). Premiering next week on September 16, the family drama follows The Real Has Come in the weekend slot. [Newsen]

Pyo Ye-jin (Taxi Driver 2) is on the casting table for a new classic rom-com called I Openly Dream of Cinderella (working title). If she accepts, Pyo will be playing the Cinderella-wannabe heroine who struggles to unchain herself from life’s difficult realities. Enter not-quite-prince-charming who doesn’t believe in love. Still in the planning stages, writer Baek Mi-kyung (Mine) is attached to the project in a creative role. [Sports Chosun]
Delivering a new bundle of moody stills, Disney+’s The Worst of Evil has me staring once again into the souls of Ji Chang-wook (If You Wish Upon Me) and Wie Ha-joon (Little Women) as my rational side wonders how many episodes my faint heart will withstand. The crime-action will be launching later this month on September 27. [News1, Sports Kyunghyang]

In a similar vein, I’m both enthralled and utterly unsettled by Shin Ha-kyun (Yonder) and Kim Young-kwang (Call It Love) in ENA’s short first teaser for Evilive. Also starring Shin Jae-ha (Taxi Driver 2), the series will be darkening up our screens in time for Halloween on October 14, in a new Saturday-Sunday slot. [MBC]
Thankfully, this fall is not all about ~evil~ and we’ll be getting our chance to get snuggled and toasty with tvN’s Twinkling Watermelon. Premiering this month on September 25, we get another look at our characters forging bonds and celebrating life in the sweet new teaser, with leads Ryeoun (The Secret Romantic Guesthouse), Choi Hyun-wook (D.P. 2), Seol In-ah (Oasis), and Shin Eun-soo (Summer Strike). [News1]
Also uplifting our spirits is JTBC’s fantasy Strong Woman Kang Nam-soon and the new poster showcases the superpowered family trio: Lee Yumi (Mental Coach Jegal), Kim Jung-eun (My Dangerous Wife), and Kim Hae-sook (Revenant). Expanding on the world created by the original series Strong Woman Do Bong-soon, the spin-off launches on October 7 with the original series writer Baek Mi-kyung penning the scripts. [News1]