After nearly two years in development, writer Kim Eun-hee’s (Signal) epic zombie sageuk Kingdom is about to air. The poster above captures the chilling atmosphere of the drama: “The end of Joseon, the blood-starved masses awaken.” A teaser and more promo stills have been released, increasing expectations and hype.
Joo Ji-hoon (Along With the Gods 2) stars at the crown prince, who is framed as a traitor to his country when he learns of his father’s existence as a zombie. On the run, he discovers that a zombie plague is spreading throughout the nation, and he’s helped along the way by a nurse, played by Bae Doo-na (Cloud 9, Matrimonial Chaos), in uncovering the mystery behind this disease. Throughout it all, the corrupt prime minister, played by Ryu Seung-ryong (Dorihwaga), manipulates politics such that he remains the greatest power in Joseon.
The trailer starts out with Ryu Seung-ryong’s character telling the young queen, played by Kim Hye-joon (Matrimonial Chaos), that true power is when no one can question him despite the countless corpses that have been thrown into the lake by his order. And we see the bodies underneath the lake, weighed down so that they’ll never rise again.
Joo Ji-hoon begins to narrate that he saw a monster in the palace, and he connects that with his father, the king, whose health has been unconfirmed for a long time. We see the truth—that the king is the monster trapped in chains, kept there by Ryu Seung-ryong’s machinations.
The crown prince travels to the countryside to find the mystery behind his father’s condition. And there, he realizes the problem is greater than he ever imagined. He’s warned by Bae Doo-na that the dead arise from their slumber soon, and scenes of what happens when the zombies attack are shown. That begins Joo Ji-hoon’s quest to wrestle power back from Ryu Seung-ryong and exterminate the zombies that plague the kingdom.
Oh my gosh—this looks both beautiful and horrifying! The first episode of Kingdom will be available on Netflix starting January 25 of the next year.
