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On April 25, 2024, South Korean media outlet OSEN reported that Noh Hee-kyung's upcoming drama, reportedly featuring Gong Yoo and Song Hye-kyo, will cost over 80 billion won to produce 20 to 24 episodes. The outlet stated that each episode of the series would cost 3 billion.
In response to the report, the production company Studio Dragon said that the upcoming period drama is currently in the pre-production stage, and nothing has been decided.
"Because this is a work in the planning stage without a scenario, the exact number of episodes and the size of the production cost have not been determined," Studio Dragon's statement read.
It should be noted that the title of the upcoming period drama was not revealed.
Gong Yoo and Song Hye-kyo are still in talks to appear in the upcoming period drama
On April 24, 2024, the South Korean media outlet News 1 reported that Gong Yoo was in talks to star as the protagonist in screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung's upcoming period drama. In response, an official from the actor's agency, Management Soop, informed another outlet, Edaily, that he was considering the offer.
"It is true that we have received an offer for a new work from writer Noh Hee-kyung, and it is a work we are considering," the agency said.
Meanwhile, on April 1, 2024, media outlet Xsportsnews reported that Song Hye-kyo would feature in a new project by screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung. A source from the actress' agency, United Artists Agency, responded that they had received a script and project proposal from the production company, and the actress was positively considering it.
If Song Hye-kyo accepts the casting offer for the upcoming series, she will be reuniting with the acclaimed writer Noh Hee-kyung for the third time. The duo previously worked on two projects, Worlds Within in 2008 and That Winter, The Wind Blows in 2013.
The upcoming modern period drama will reportedly showcase the struggle of people from the periods between the 1950s and 1980s. It would shed light on the struggles of the people working in the broadcasting industry during the challenging phase of history while witnessing the origin of South Korea's entertainment industry. It will reportedly outline the phase starting with the 8th U.S. Army immediately after the Korean War and showcase different stories till the 1980s.
The drama will be co-produced by Studio Dragon and Noh Hee-kyung's agency, GTIST. Studio Dragon has already released a statement about the uncertainty in the production cost, so the fandom expects that the drama will have an expensive budget since both Gong Yoo and Song Hye-kyo are high-profile South Korean celebrities.
The drama will reportedly have 20-24 episodes, and Gong Yoo and Song Hye-kyo would charge a huge amount per episode, substantially increasing the production costs. The K-drama community is excited to see the onscreen chemistry between the two actors (if they accept the offer), as it would reportedly be their first project together.
Noh Hee-kyung is one of the most famous and acclaimed writers in South Korea. She is known for her realistic portrayal of human relations. She penned The Most Beautiful Goodbye in the World in 1996, which brought her into the spotlight. Since then, she has bagged many accolades, including Best Screenplay and Best Drama Writer at the Baeksang Arts Awards, Korean Drama Awards, KBS Drama Awards, MBC, and others.
She is known for dramas such as Our Blues, Live, Dear My Friends, It's Okay, That's Love, That Winter, the Wind Blows, and The World That They Live In.
In other news, Gong Yoo is gearing up to return with shows like Squid Game season 2 and The Trunk, while Song Hye-kyo has recently appeared in the hit Netflix series The Glory.
