Extraordinary Attorney Woo K-drama remakes in US and other countries to be ‘the greatest success’ for production company behind the original
- Extraordinary Attorney Woo is being turned into a franchise by the production company behind the hit K-drama series, which has high hopes for its success
- The company also made the thriller crime series Signal and the apocalyptic Kingdom shown on Netflix, and is on the hunt for more global content, its CEO says
By Lee Gyu-lee
About half a year has passed since Extraordinary Attorney Woo shot to popularity around the world. The legal drama series topped Netflix’s streaming chart for non-English television shows for nine weeks after its release in June 2022.
“Our priority right now is the US remake of the series, because of its huge market,” Lee said. “There are about 10 other countries [considering remakes]. The web-comic adaptation launched in the US at the end of last year and we saw a positive outcome. And we also have a musical adaptation under way.”
“As the deals are still coming through, I can’t fully disclose [details], but I expect the greatest success of all time.”
‘I like and enjoy this hardship’: Alchemy of Souls’ Lee Jae-wook on acting
Founded in 2004, the production studio has given birth to some major shows, such as the 2016 thriller crime series Signal, the 2019 apocalyptic horror series Kingdom and the variety show SNL Korea.
“I heard that Kingdom was submitted for awards in the US in the past, but it didn’t make it to the nomination. I realised that for the work to see success, it needs to be in a mainstream genre, rather than a minor one, to be nominated,” he said.
“Success, here, means popularity from the public to begin with. A series should also have artistic value and be recognised for the depth of its story, and its message about society should be relatable. [When] I saw the list of nominees, I could see why those nominated works deserved to be applauded.”
The heartwarming Extraordinary Attorney Woo ticks all those boxes: it shows an autistic lawyer navigating prejudice in her working and personal life, and portrays different social issues through cases.
Lee says this allows them the room to experiment with how a show can expand on its success.
“Thanks to Netflix, the series made it into the US’ award nominations and was dubbed and translated into different languages, which allowed it to draw worldwide recognition in such a short period,” he said.
“As the local series producer, I’m pleased to be the first case to hold the IP of this globally recognised series and have the decision-making rights for other productions like musicals, web comics, and follow-up seasons. It’s an opportunity to see what kind of gains such a result will bring.”
K-Love producer on the Viu series: like Sex and the City but set in Manila
Lee shared his hopes that the company would grow into a major global player in the entertainment scene.
The company is currently making a documentary of mountaineer Kim Young-mi, the first South Korean woman to reach the South Pole unassisted.
“We continue to invest in producing such meaningful projects, regardless of the genre … our goal is to become Asia’s best content studio. So we plan to expand our business to achieve the title.
“I hope to show a small production studio – far from a conglomerate affiliate or state-run company – growing into a well-established company in the motion-picture industry, like [K-pop powerhouses] SM Entertainment, Hybe, JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment.”
The chief executive said that Korea’s entertainment content market still has some way to go, and called for help from the government.
Why Under the Queen’s Umbrella star Yoo Seon-ho loves being called ‘princess’
“[Korean content] still has a long way to go for its quality, like the story and video techniques, to hit the highest level. There should be more active support from the government,” he said.
“Exporting culture is the easiest way to boost a positive image of a country, which will invigorate further exports of the goods made in Korea … if such a virtuous cycle is created, I think it will contribute to making a stronger reputation for the country.”
