Streaming services Paramount+ and Tving have greenlighted two new jointly-developed Korean TV series. They are the product of an ongoing relationship between parent companies Paramount Global and Korea’s CJ ENM.
They are action thriller “A Bloody Lucky Day” and period drama “Queen Woo.”
Korean TV content has been a growth vector for international and regional streaming platforms in Asia. Competition for new originals is fierce and expensive, but Korean drama and increasingly, unscripted shows, continues to attract critical and commercial kudos.
Paramount+ said that new Korean drama series “Yonder” has been the most-watched international show in the U.S. in its first week of availability (since Aprile 11). Its upcoming Korean series “Bargain” earned the best screenplay award at Canneseries on Wednesday and will upload in summer this year.
“A Bloody Lucky Day” follows an ordinary taxi driver who becomes entangled with a customer that turns out to be a serial killer. Directed by Pil Gam-Sung (“Hostage: Missing Celebrity”) and written by Kim Min-sung and Song Hanna, the series is produced by CJ ENM’s production house Studio Dragon, The Great Show and Studio N. It stars Lee Sung-min (“Reborn Rich”) as the taxi driver, Yoo Yeon-seok (“Hospital Playlist”) as the psychopathic killer and Lee Jung-eun (“Parasite,” “Yonder”) as a relentless chaser.
“Queen Woo” sees a fierce battle break out following the death of the Goguryeo region’s ninth King. The rivalry includes efforts to marry one of the King’s brothers and Woo Hee becomes the first woman in Korean history to become queen two times. The series is directed by Jung Se-kyo (“Oh! My Gran”) from a script by Lee Byoung-hak (“The Royal Tailor”). Jun Jong-seo (“Bargain”) will play Queen Woo. Additional cast members will be announced later.
The pact between Paramount and CJ ENM spans content licensing and distribution, as well as the development of Korean original series. In Korea, Paramount+ is carried as a branded block on Tving, the streaming service which is jointly owned by CJ ENM, Naver and JTBC.
Both series will play on Paramount+ in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In Korea, they will play on Tving. In territories outside of Korea, Japan and Taiwan, they will be licensed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
“Recently, colorful Tving original series in different genres such as fantasy action, thriller and historical drama have entered the global awards ceremony competition both domestically and abroad. We will continue to expand the global competitiveness of K-content with well-made original series that feature a large scale and a unique worldview,” said Hye-jung Hwang, Tving’s chief content officer.
“We are incredibly proud [that] our Korean content that is finally taking the global stage, engaging viewers and fans on Paramount+ and beyond,” said Catherine Park, senior VP, head of streaming & regional lead Asia at Paramount.
“These achievements highlight the exceptional value and storytelling that our partnership with CJ ENM brings to our platform worldwide,” said Marco Nobili, EVP and GM, Paramount+ International. “Quality Korean content is a key piece of Paramount+’s global offering, and we’re expanding our roster of originals to continue to provide entertainment with captivating narratives and performances that transcends borders.”
