Action, adventure, drama: 10 K-content projects revealed in Disney+’s upcoming slate

The lineup was announced during the 2024 Disney APAC Content Showcase, which was held on Nov. 20 and 21 at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. A total of 10 pieces of Korean content were revealed during the event, ready to entertain both Korean and global viewers.

Among the upcoming Korean Disney content, five of them — “Unmasked,” “Hyper Knife,” “Nine Puzzles,” “Knock-Off,” and “Low Life” — separately held press conferences on Nov. 21, where the actors and directors discussed their intriguing new stories.

Investigative drama “Unmasked,” starring veteran actor Kim Hye-soo, Jung Sung-il and Joo Jong-hyuk, is set to premiere on the streaming platform next year.

Directed by You Sun-dong, the series follows an investigative news team known for exposing society’s worst crimes. However, this time, it faces a challenge when it dives into a 20-year-old cold case involving a famous actor.

Director You and actor Kim emphasized that while the series may appear heavy and dark, it blends moments of laughter with tears and delivers a meaningful message.

“The series touches on various subjects that are serious, including fake news issues,” Kim said during the series’ press conference. “However, there are a lot of episodes where we added some wit and lightened the tone so the viewers could easily understand the messages.”

Actor Kim also revealed that she injured her thigh muscles while shooting the project. She described the intensity of its story, saying, “Each character tries to uncover the truth by solving cases, sometimes with their heart, sometimes with their brain and sometimes using their physical body.”

Another drama that will take viewers on an emotional roller-coaster next year is medical thriller “Hyper Knife,” set to star actors Park Eun-bin and Sul Kyung-gu.

Director Kim Jung-hyun took the helm of the series. It follows the story of a once-promising genius doctor who reunites with the mentor who ruined her reputation.

Portraying a mentor-mentee relationship with Park, Sul shared that the show will feature a “unique” and “never-before-seen” dynamic between the characters, a key highlight that viewers should look forward to.

Director Kim also emphasized that the new drama will showcase a new side of these veteran actors, saying, “I’m not just saying this, but truly I believe that the viewers will be really surprised by Park and Sul’s acting — because I did on set.”

Mystery thriller “Nine Puzzles” follows the story of an investigative profiler, who was the only witness of an unsolved case 10 years ago, and a detective, who suspects the profiler is the prime suspect of the cold case, teaming up to solve a new serial killer case that involves mysterious puzzle pieces.

Directed by Yoon Jong-bin, who was behind the film “The Spy Gone North” (2018) and Netflix crime series “Narco-Saints” (2022), the series features actor Kim Da-mi, portraying the profiler, and Son Suk-ku as the detective.

In the past, Yoon said that he would not take on streaming platform projects after working on “Narco-Saints,” citing physical and mental exhaustion during its preparation. However, the intriguing narrative of the series ultimately changed his mind. It is also the first work he has taken on where he didn’t write the script himself.

“I decided to work on this project because I thought I might never be able to do another crime thriller like this or create a story with a female lead driving the narrative if I had turned down the project,” he said.

Actors Kim Soo-hyun and Cho Bo-ah are set to appear on Disney+ next year in “Knock-Off,” directed by Park Hyun-sok and written by Han Jung-hoon. The director and screenwriter were both behind the Netflix series “Song of the Bandits” (2023).

The series delves into the world of counterfeiting, following a man whose life was shattered during the 1997 Asian financial crisis and his rise to the top of the counterfeiting market.

Actor Kim plays Sung-jun, who rebuilds his life as the “king of counterfeits,” and Cho as Sung-jun’s former lover Hye-jung, who is a police officer cracking down on counterfeit goods.

Known for his latest role as Hyun-woo in tvN’s “Queen of Tears,” where he portrayed a sweet and caring husband, Kim revealed that he will portray a character with the opposite personality this time.

“In my previous work, I played a warm and sweet character, but in ‘Knock-Off,’ I believe Sung-jun is a cold and detached individual, focused solely on survival.”

Crime series “Low Life,” set for release next year, stars “Moving” (2023) actor Ryu Seung-ryong, alongside actors Yang Se-jong and Lim Soo-jung.

Directed by Kang Yun-sung, who took the helm of the first installment of “The Outlaws” film franchise released in 2017, the upcoming series is set in the 1970s. It tells the story of an uncle and his nephew who are willing to do anything to earn money. The show follows their journey as they try to retrieve an ancient treasure in a sunken ship discovered off the coast of Sinan County, South Jeolla.

The show features a variety of unique characters, according to the director and actors, adding vibrancy.

“In the series, each character moves with a strong sense of individuality, almost as if they are alive,” director Kang said.

“The actors put in a lot of effort to interpret and portray their characters, and as the director, I didn’t want to overlook that. I was determined to capture the moments when each character comes to life and the energy they bring to the story, which made filming an enjoyable experience.”

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]