There was no escaping K-content in Cannes this year, with South Korea delivering well-received Canneseries competition title “Bargain,” MIPTV’s showcase of new formats, all hoping to dethrone “The Masked Singer,” Kortop Media’s “Midnight Horror: Different Nights,” “Pale Moon,” sold by KT Studiogenie and, finally, CJ ENM’s “Island.”
Co-created by Bae Jong and Jang Jeong Do, the show – produced by Studio Dragon and YLAB – is based on a popular comic book, first published in 1997. It has since been turned into webtoons, web novels and dramas, always combining the fantastical with the ordinary.
“We designed a unique fantasy world [to accommodate] drama based on mystical folktales of Jeju Island,” explains Jang Jeong Do, also serving as the show’s executive producer.
Noting that while its setting is famous for beautiful tourist spots – with one of the show’s first scenes depicting a wedding photoshoot gone horribly wrong – it’s also “a land with a painful, ancient history.” Perfect for a story about unlikely heroes coming together to fight evil, save the world and defy their own destinies in the process.
“Island’ is filled with flashy spectacles and action-oriented elements, but it was also necessary to [root] these characters in reality. It was important to make it clear for the viewers why they have to fight,” he says.
Kim Nam-gil, Lee Da-hee – as a heiress sent to the island by her father following a scandal and swiftly targeted by lust demons – Cha Eun-woo and Sung Joon star, with possible breakout Huh Jung Hee making a splash on Canneseries’ pink carpet.
Still, with Korean shows successfully taking over mainstream entertainment all over the world, their creators – and casts – feel additional pressure to deliver another crossover hit.
“I feel this too. Especially as this marks my first time acting in a show that could potentially reach a global audience,” Huh Jung Hee tells Variety via interpreter.
“I think that people like our content because we add all these specific, traditional elements to our stories. They find it interesting, precisely because it’s not something they get to see every day.”
“Cultural difference is the biggest novelty Korean dramas can offer global viewers,” agrees Jang Jeong Do.
“The power of K-content lies in this accidental chemistry that occurs when unique Korean stories and characters, and emotions, blend into global genres and narratives.”
Just like in Netflix’s “Kingdom,” he observes.
“It combined Korean historical drama with zombies, creating the kind of content that feels familiar but also completely different. ‘Island’ is the same. It reinterprets native myths and incorporates various themes based on Eastern philosophy into successful, occult, horror-action fantasy works that already exist.”
Largely due to the existing fanbase, still remembering the original comic, “Island” is hoping to attract viewers of all ages.
“We weren’t limiting our audience to one specific demographic. Kim Nam-gil and Lee Da-hee are bound to bring in their younger fans, but we also wanted to meet the expectations of the original fans who are now in their thirties or forties,” says Huh Jung Hee, hoping for more seasons to come, with Jang Jeong Do adding: “While the show’s casting and tone is aimed at a younger audience, we are counting on the nostalgia for the original. Also, we hope that this story can provide comfort to all those who are experiencing sadness and loss in the face of endless global disasters.”
While its team set out to create “a hero story that focuses on the growth of its characters,” they also wanted to keep it complex, notes Jang Jeong Do.
“We were especially drawn to the multi-dimensional structure based on the concept of causality, rather than the simple conflict between good and evil. We hope it’s a show that has mass appeal, able to speak to a wider range of viewers and different generations.”
“Island” can be streamed through TVING in South Korea and Prime Video worldwide.
