Global Outbursts: Korean Cable Hit ‘Reborn Rich’ Brings Reincarnation Genre Into Mainstream

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s brand new segment, where every two weeks we take a look at the TV shows and movies that are killing it in their local territories. The industry has never been more global, but groundbreaking hits are popping up in parts of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep up… so we’ll do the hard work for you. We kick off with a record-breaking live-action resurrection drama set in Korea, the country that introduced Netflix to the world Squid Game but in reality he has been making hit shows for decades.

Of: Rich reborn
Country: Korea
network: JTBC
For fans of: that of Netflix Dark or Christopher Nolan’s start

Before JTBC, there had never been a “reincarnation drama” on Korean cable Rich reborn and local viewers rarely saw anything like it, but that didn’t stop them from flocking to this ambitious series.

The 16-episode film, which launched late last year and airs weekly – a treat in this age of box set consumption – was produced by local writers Kim Tae-hee and Jang Eun-yes from a web adapted from the novel is and has been acclaimed by critics and audiences. The pair count the Koreans Designated survivor under their credit.

Featuring some of Korea’s most famous actors, including the multi-award winning song Joong-ki (A werewolf boy, The innocent man), Rich reborn tells the story of Yoon Hyun-woo, a loyal executive who works for the Soonyang Group, a Korean conglomerate or “chaebol”. To cover up a tax evasion scheme, Hyun-woo is betrayed and killed by a member of the Soonyang family, but in a twist that is partly reminiscent of Netflix’s German hit. Dark, He wakes up in 1987 and discovers that he has been reincarnated into the body of Jin Do-jun, the youngest grandson of the Soonyang family. Using these circumstances to his advantage, he begins his revenge by planning a hostile takeover of the Soonyang Group. The all-star cast also includes Lee Sung-min (Golden time) and Shin Hyun Leg (confession).

Rarely has such a large budget been bet by a Korean network and producer (Squid Game was funded with Netflix money) and the subject matter was new to many, but after reading the 13 volumes that make up the web novel, director Jung Dae-yoon was convinced that he could bring the “reincarnation drama” to the masses. He personally used all 13,300 pages in three days.

“The web novel is legendary and has opened up a wealth of Korean stories that combine time travel and reincarnation,” he tells Deadline. “The books carefully depicted Korea’s modern and contemporary history and characters in a vivid and dynamic manner.”

In an era of global recession, when the Korean term “lee saeng mang” (roughly translated “this life is ruined”) has become an everyday lexicon, the idea of ​​reincarnation is having a moment, the director believes. “We wanted to be the first to fully introduce the Korean public to the subject,” he adds.

Executive producer Park Sung-eun calls the web novel a “masterpiece of the reincarnation genre” that “deeply touches people’s intrinsic desires for a new and prosperous life.”

However, for JTBC’s in-house production arm, Studio LuluLala (SLL – formerly JTBC Studios), it would take a lot of money to create the TV version they wanted. It was crucial to ensure Song Joong-ki’s lead in 2020.

Filming took almost a year, along with enormous investments that “cannot be compared to any other [of SLL’s] existing drama” and long-term marketing campaigns, according to the director. CGI was also an expensive challenge given the creator’s desire to carefully recreate the feel of late 1980s South Korea while maintaining the high-end values ​​of contemporary drama.

But what a point. At a time when it is almost impossible to get double-digit market share overnight, the show is now JTBC’s only The world of the married as the most watched Korean cable drama with a massive 26.9% share. It is now available in select territories on Asian streamer Viu, in addition to Netflix and Disney+ in Korea.

star quality

Director Jung says the theme and quality of the stars will appeal to all ages.

While “focusing on an audience” is fashionable among modern drama producers, he points out Empire is reborn appeals to all ages due to the attention to the country’s modern and contemporary history.

The director and the EP are of course aware of this Squid Game Breakthrough global success, but stress Korean TV and film has been killing it domestically and globally for years. They tag other SLL hits like Netflix drama series hell bound, DP And Suriname. The streamer’s series The Glory is currently one of the world’s highest-rated non-US shows on the platform and a second season is in the pipeline.

There’s plenty more to come, as last month Netflix unveiled its biggest Korean slate yet of 34 TV dramas — including several in genres Korea is less known for, such as rom-com — as well as movies and entertainment shows.

Fueled by the influence of YouTube, director Jung predicts that the next development will “break down the lines between ordinary people and TV stars” in the country.

“The whole Korean culture – of [K-pop band] BTS on Minari And parasite, TV drama and even the kitchen is getting more and more attention,” he says. “This variety of Korean content has been increasing for years, and viewers worldwide will be more likely to get it in the future.”