Massively popular Korean TV series, “Descendants of the Sun” will get a feature film adaptation in China.
According to Next Entertainment World, the Korean company behind the hugely popular drama, a big screen adaptation of “Descendants” is currently in active discussion.
Chinese media has reported that China’s Zhang Yibai (“Fleet of Time,” “Curiosity Kills The Cat”) will direct. But NEW told Variety that but no director, cast or key production staff have yet been confirmed.
Huace Film & TV, the Chinese company that is also NEW’s second largest stakeholder, is set as the film’s producer.
Starring top actors Song Joong-ki (“Werewolf Boy”) and Song Hye-kyo (“My Brilliant Life”), “Descendants” is a love story involving an army captain and a woman doctor. They travel to an imaginary war-torn country called Uruk to save lives.
The show was simultaneously broadcasted in Korea on KBS and in China on online video platform iQiyi. Under recent online broadcast rules the entire 16-episode series had to clear Chinese censorship before it went to air.
The show’s huge popularity in China – estimated at over 2 billion views – caused both positive and negative attention from government circles. One official said praised it as a recruiting tool for the armed forces. Others warned against watching too much Korean content.
The show’s success was also attributed as a key reason for iQIYI’s recent jump in paid subscribers to 20 million.
