Wow, that’s one hell of a leading cast. Jang Dong-gun (VIP) is coming back to dramaland five years after his last drama, A Gentleman’s Dignity, in the new KBS drama remake of the popular American series Suits. And the happy news doesn’t stop there: Rising star Park Hyung-shik (Strong Woman Do Bong-soon) will be the other half of the two-top drama, about a hotshot lawyer and the young genius he (illegally) takes under his wing.
Suits, which has been on for seven seasons on cable network USA, is a slick, fast-talking legal drama about New York City’s best closer (Harvey Specter), and the down-on-his-luck legal genius (Mike Ross) he hires as his associate… even though he’s never gone to law school. Mike is a college dropout who illegally takes the bar exam for other people to make money, so he’s a walking encyclopedia of legal knowledge, especially since he’s a genius who never forgets something he reads once. He ends up crashing a job interview for Harvey’s new associate position, and Harvey is so impressed that he hires him, and thus begins their risky partnership.
Jang Dong-gun has signed on to play Harvey’s counterpart, charismatic lawyer Choi Kyung-seo, a legend at the top law firm in Korea. Harvey’s character oozes charm and confidence, so Jang Dong-gun is pitch-perfect for the role, and a huge get for the remake. Park Hyung-shik has been confirmed to play the young genius associate, Go Yeon-woo, who learns the ropes under his new mentor’s tutelage. I’ve been impressed with Park Hyung-shik in all of his roles thus far, and I’m excited to see him try a different genre and character (say, not a chaebol).
Fingers are crossed for the remake to retain the same fast-paced, energetic feel of the original series. The writer, Kim Jung-min, is unknown, but I have high hopes for PD Kim Jin-woo, who directed the moody, visually strong Mystery Queen earlier this year (and was also the second PD on Healer). KBS Media (Seven Day Queen, The Best Hit) and Monster Union (Dreamcide) will collaborate on the production of the remake, which is being planned for a 2018 broadcast on KBS.