New promos have been released for SBS’s upcoming horror sageuk Joseon Exorcist, including new stills and a video teaser featuring its main cast.
The drama stars Kam Woo-sung (The Wind Blows) as King Taejo (a.k.a. Yi Bang-won), the third king of the Joseon dynasty. While taking a tour of his northern region, he comes across a man possessed by an evil spirit that came from the West and his worldview is changed when an exorcism is performed. Although the evil spirit was sealed away, it manages to break free and feeds off of human greed to gain strength and multiply across Joseon.
Park Sung-hoon (Memorials) plays King Taejo’s first son, Crown Prince Yangnyung. Although intelligent and competent in his own right, he struggles with the anxieties and pressures of being the Crown Prince. And is constantly afraid of failure from trying to fulfill his father’s expectations. These fears manifest into greed as well, not wanting to lose his position and possessions, and it leads him to agree to a dangerous contract with the evil spirit.
Jang Dong-yoon (Search) takes on the role of Park’s younger brother, Prince Choong-nyung (a.k.a Yi Do), who later becomes the great King Sejong. Having devoted his life to academics and born into a royal family, he lived a strictly sheltered life, but the growing danger forces him out of his safe bubble world. Despite his inexperience, he is quick to pick up his sword and joins the fight to protect his country and the people he loves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz238QrkeEE
The new video teaser starts with young Prince Kangnyung (played by Moon Woo-jin, Alice), enjoying a hunt accompanied by his servants and guards. He lets his falcon loose, commanding it to fly, and a text screen cuts in introducing the drama’s director: PD Shin Kyung-soo who produced Six Flying Dragons and Tale of Nokdu. As the entourage approaches a bridge, the prince declares that his bird must have already caught its prey and orders his guards to fetch it. When the guards return, the prince calls to them from across the bridge but one of the guards has been overtaken by an evil spirit and attacks the group. The servants cry to the prince to run away, but the prince stumbles and the possessed guard approaches him. In voice-over, a man reports that, “Blood sucking monsters have appeared. As they are dead but also alive, they are said to be called living corpses.”
Cut to Park Sung-hoon going to see Prince Kangnyung, who has been tied up and placed in an ice-filled room. The young prince calls out to Park, “Hyung-nim,” and the text screen explains, “A Joseon prince becomes a living corpse.” In the next scene, Prince Kangnyung is moved back to his room where a physician examines him while Kam Woo-sung and the queen standby waiting. Kam asks, “What is inside Kangnyung’s body?” And the physician replies, “If you want to save him, we need a Western shaman.” It cuts to a group of mysteriously cloaked men who bring a priest of Western origin back to the palace. As Jang Dong-yoon helps the priest, a man explains, “This is what is called an exorcism.” And Jang replies, “Does that mean the person can be brought back to normal?”
In a sequence of shots, we see the growing army of evil spirits who attack the palace and claim, “We are Azazel’s solidiers.” Park Sung-hoon confronts a large snake creature and a text screen commands, “Stand against these strange creatures and fight.” In voice-over, Kam Woo-sung orders, “You must bring a Western shaman here and save Prince Kangnyung.” And the servant commits to his task, “Even if it means risking my life, I will bring him back safely.” As the sequence continues, we see Kam, Park, and Jang Dong-yoon fiercely battling an enemy that seems to have a range of powers. And a man warns Park Sung-hoon that, “Your Highness must save Kangnyung before Choongnung in order to make this nation yours.” Jang bravely declares that, “I will stop them before I become a living corpse.” But the person who responds is not hopeful and cautions, “Don’t think that you can stop them. These living corpses are different.”
Written by Park Kye-ok and directed by PD Shin Kyung-soo (Tale of Nokdu, Six Flying Dragons), Joseon Exorcist is currently set to premiere on March 22 and will be airing Mondays and Tuesdays on SBS.
