Netflix has announced its second Korean original television series, Kingdom, to be directed by Kim Seong-hun, whose last film Tunnel was a top five movie in Korea last year.
The eight-episode series, produced by prominent K-drama production house, Astory, is set in Korea’s Joseon period. It follows a crown prince who is sent on a suicide mission to investigate a mysterious outbreak that leads him to a brutal truth that threatens the kingdom.
In a statement, Netflix said the series breaks new ground by combining two popular genres in one series: historical period drama and zombie action-thriller. It will be scripted by Kim Eun-hee, whose series Signal was one of the top K-dramas in 2016.
“I am thrilled about partnering with an eminent writer like Kim Eun-hee. Kingdom presents the opportunity to work on long-form television at its most ambitious and on a truly cinematic scale because of the unparalleled creative freedom that Netflix as a global internet television network provides,” said Kim Seong-hun.
Kim Eun-Hee said: “I have been working on Kingdom since 2011. I wanted to write a story that reflects the fears and anxiety of modern times but explored through the lens of a romantic fascination of the historical Joseon period. Working with Netflix helps us to unlock this creative vision for Kingdom and I am excited to further build this unique story with the director for whom I have tremendous respect.”
Erik Barmack, Netflix vice president of international originals, said: “Kingdom captured our imaginations from the moment we read the script with its visual feast of historical drama blended with supernatural fantasy. We are incredibly honored by this rare opportunity of pairing two premier creative minds in Korea – film director Kim Seong-hun and television writer Kim Eun-hee.”
All eight episodes of Kingdom will premiere exclusively on Netflix in 2018 to its members in over 190 countries.