Netflix has acquired international rights to Korean drama Mr. Sunshine, written by Kim Eun-sook and directed by Lee Eung-bok, who previously collaborated on Descendants Of The Sun.
Lee Byung-hun (G.I. Joeseries, Red 2) and Kim Tae-ri (The Handmaiden) head the cast of the drama, which also stars Yoo Yeon-seok, Kim Min-jung, and Byun Yo-han.
The 24-episode series will premiere exclusively on Netflix, starting July 7, with episodes streaming on the same day of its Korean broadcast in the US and Asian territories, excluding Korea. It will then premiere in Japan on July 8 and the rest of the world on July 19.
Set in the late 19th century, Mr. Sunshine tells the story of a Korean boy born into a family of a house servant running away to board an American warship, later to return to his homeland as a US marine officer.
The series is produced by Hwa&Dam Pictures, one of Korea’s top drama production companies, and Studio Dragon, which teamed up with Hwa&Dam Pictures for titles including Goblin and Bravo My Life.
“We have seen so much passion for top quality Korean stories and the pedigree of a title like Mr. Sunshine is a significant step forward in building a strong Korean content library for our members around the world,” said Rob Roy, Netflix’s vice president of Content – Asia.