2021/05/06
On May 6th CJ ENM released a financial report detailing the company s fortunes in the first quarter of the year. The result was an all-time best first quarter performance for the entertainment company of eighty million dollars in earnings, a 135.7% increase compared to the previous year. This was despite a slight decrease in investment, signaling that CJ ENM has benefited greatly from the COVID-19 pandemic increasing demand for Korean cultural products both domestically and abroad.
While television dramas and movies only make up one part of CJ ENM s revenue the effect was particularly pronounced there, with On Demand revenue going up massively despite expenditures going down by over fifty percent. CJ ENM has in recent years been focusing on developing its streaming infrastructure and making its full library available for audiences. With this task largely complete, the revenues for taking advantage of this were particularly sharpened during the pandemic.
On May 6, it was announced that the two actors have been confirmed for the new Kakao TV drama “Excellent Shaman Ga Doo Shim” (literal title).
The fantasy mystery romance is about two unique high schoolers who become involved in a series of mysterious incidents.
Kim Sae Ron will play 18-year-old Ga Doo Shim who wishes to live as a typical high schooler but is born with the undesired fate of becoming a shaman. She is a brave and strong character who will fight evil spirits as she works on solving mysterious cases.
Nam Da Reum has been cast as Na Woo Soo, a nearly perfect high schooler with a wealthy background, handsome looks, and outstanding grades. When Ga Doo Shim suddenly appears in his life, he gains the ability to see evil spirits, and the two get entangled in mysterious cases together.
Not gonna lie, we re all ecstatic to witness the drama comeback of Song Joong Ki!
Known as the much-awaited drama in the first half of 2021, Vincenzo will be airing its pilot episode on Feb. 20. Song Joong Ki is expected to portray the character of Vincenzo Cassano, an Italian lawyer and a Mafia consigliere, who decided to fly back to South Korea after having a conflict with his previous organization.
Joining him in the drama are actress Jeon Yeo Bin and 2PM s Taecyeon. Viewers are already looking forward to their onscreen chemistry.
Mouse
Lee Seung Gi will be conquering the month of March with his suspense drama Mouse. His role is a rookie and kind-hearted police officer named Jang Ba Reum.
Which Korean dramas are the most anticipated in 2021?
A survey was conducted among 55 key players in the Korean entertainment industry including CEOs of drama and film production companies, and representatives from entertainment agencies to select the dramas and movies to watch this year.
In 2020, OTT (over-the-top) or video streaming platforms such as Netflix, Viu and iQIYI became popular as people stayed home due to the pandemic.
According to the survey published by Cine21, the most anticipated Korean dramas on OTT in 2021 are:
“Cliffhanger” (aka “Mount Jiri”) – The drama stars Jun Ji-hyun of “My Love from the Star” and “Legend of the Blue Sea,” Ju Ji-hoon of “Kingdom,” Sung Dong-il of the popular “Reply” TV series and Oh Jung-se of “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” and “When the Camellia Blooms.” The story revolves around rangers who work at Jirisan National Park. It will be available on tvN and iQIYI.
On December 27th Jam Entertainment made a post to its Instagram page featuring an official message from Cho Jung-seok, who is represented by the agency. The following letter was described as a special letter for his fans from the actor himself. In the letter, Cho Jung-seok thanks his fans for sending seasonal greetings and gifts, particularly the ones from overseas.