AppleTV+ has announced an expansion of its international slate with its first Korean-language project: a series order for Dr. Brain, a live-action sci-fi thriller based on the widely popular Korean webtoon. The series will be written and directed by visionary filmmaker Kim Jee-Woon and star SAG Award-winner Lee Sun-Kyun.
The Dr. Brain television adaptation will star Lee Sun-Kyun, who played Park Dong-Ik in the Oscar-winning feature film Parasite. He will be in the leading role as the obsessive neuroscientist. The series will be written, directed and executive produced by filmmaker Kim Jee-Woon alongside Samuel Yeunju Ha, Ham Jung Yeub, Daniel Han, Joy Jinsoo Lee and Min Young Hong.
Kim Jee-Woon is best known for directing acclaimed dark thrillers, dealing with themes of family obligations like I Saw the Devil and A Tale of Two Sisters. Ham Jung Yeub and Daniel Han will executive produce for Studioplex, with Joy Jinsoo Lee and Min Young Hong executive producing for Kakao Entertainment.
The series, which is currently in production and is set to launch later this year, comes from YG-owned Studioplex, Bound Entertainment, launched by Snowpiercer producer Samuel Ha, Kakao Entertainment and Dark Circle Pictures.
Dr. Brain is an emotional journey that follows a brain scientist who is obsessive about figuring out new technologies to access the consciousness and memories of the brain. His life goes sideways when his family falls victim to a mysterious accident, and he uses his skills to access memories from his wife’s brain to piece together the mystery of what actually happened to his family and why.
The series will join a growing slate of Apple Original international dramas hailing from global award-winning storytellers, including highly-anticipated series Pachinko, a Korean, Japanese and English-language drama series based on the acclaimed novel, and Acapulco, a new Spanish and English language half-hour comedy series starring and executive produced by Eugenio Derbez.
Dr. Brain is being produced in South Korea and is expected to stream globally on Apple TV+ sometime in late 2021.
