IRIS season 2 - NOT SPOILERY FOR ANYTHING
Dec. 18th, 2009 08:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousieOK, so we all know the big success of IRIS (go, go, go - often I am puzzled by why a drama enjoys an insane rating - see Pharmacy Sons - but here I share the enthusiam) is leading the production company say they are making a season 2, a rarity in kdrama world. (I think they were saying they always intended to do so if the drama did well).
Well, when they say S2, they don't mean it the way one would in a Western show (i.e. continuation of the storyline, largely the same cast of characters, etc). No, while the concept (fight against global conspiracy) would probably remain the same, it is a completely different unconnected story with a 100% different cast.
I am glad of it because that way, even if IRIS2 is an utter wreck, it won't taint the original, which is definitely in my Top 5 kdramas ever.
But that brings us to the question - who will be the lead of IRIS2? One of the reasons, IRIS worked both quality-wise and ratings-wise was because the makers somehow managed to persuade Lee Byung Hun to come back to dramas - not only is he a huge star and an acclaimed actor to boot, but I have yet to see anyone else as good at portraying tormented masculinity (I both bought him as someone capable of taking out a small squad of pursuers and someone I just wanted to soothe and protect against the monsters.)
Apparently, Kwon Sang Woo has said he's been asked to be in S2. It would be a good choice for him because his last few projects have been disasters, and it would be a good catch for the production team - despite those last few flops, KSW is still a huge A-list star of the Hallyu wave. He is in about the right age bracket for the role (30+) and built like a truck so I can buy him body-slamming someone to the ground. He looks edible without his shirt (an important criteria to me, if not to anyone else:P), has made a career of angsting, and has a great deal of on-screen charisma. Of course the big sticking point is he is nowhere in LBH's league acting-wise - he's decent but unspectacular, but while it may be a drawback to the production, it would be a boon to me - I have never been as emotionally involved in a drama as with IRIS, in overwhelming part due to Lee Byung Hun, so I would prefer to not go through the same rollercoaster a second time. KSW can do a competent enough job but leave my soul unwrung.
Allkpop was touting the rumor about Lee Min Ho to which I just laugh. What is this, Baby Agents? Don't mistake me, I love LMH, he is certainly charismatic and, from little I have been able to see, has acting potential needing to be exploited in a good drama. But he's about 10 years too young! Not to mention that while Boys Over Flowers was a huge success, he is nowhere near the top Hallyu star the makers probably are looking for.
If Kwon Sang Woo thing does not work out, my suggestion (if they can talk him into it) is Song Seung Heon. SSH is a huge Hallyu star, on par with Lee Byung Hun (they actually just did a fanmeet "Four Kings of Hallyu" together with Won Bin and Jang Dong Gun - I am not very familiar with Won Bin *gasp* and if anyone gets JDG to come back to dramas I will faint from shock.) He's so gorgeous it hurts to look at him (seriously - I have breathing problems), he does dramas (his last one finished in early 2009), he's in the right age range. He will have no problem playing tough in a fight and being tortured is bread and butter to him (have you seen East of Eden?) And provided they had him take his shirt off once an episode, they could make it a drama about caterpillar hunts and I will be fine with it. He's crazy charismatic too. Once again, not as good an actor as LBH but certainly competent and, as I said, I don't want someone to steal my soul again.
So - any suggestions on your part? Lee Byung Hun wants to know:
Well, when they say S2, they don't mean it the way one would in a Western show (i.e. continuation of the storyline, largely the same cast of characters, etc). No, while the concept (fight against global conspiracy) would probably remain the same, it is a completely different unconnected story with a 100% different cast.
I am glad of it because that way, even if IRIS2 is an utter wreck, it won't taint the original, which is definitely in my Top 5 kdramas ever.
But that brings us to the question - who will be the lead of IRIS2? One of the reasons, IRIS worked both quality-wise and ratings-wise was because the makers somehow managed to persuade Lee Byung Hun to come back to dramas - not only is he a huge star and an acclaimed actor to boot, but I have yet to see anyone else as good at portraying tormented masculinity (I both bought him as someone capable of taking out a small squad of pursuers and someone I just wanted to soothe and protect against the monsters.)
Apparently, Kwon Sang Woo has said he's been asked to be in S2. It would be a good choice for him because his last few projects have been disasters, and it would be a good catch for the production team - despite those last few flops, KSW is still a huge A-list star of the Hallyu wave. He is in about the right age bracket for the role (30+) and built like a truck so I can buy him body-slamming someone to the ground. He looks edible without his shirt (an important criteria to me, if not to anyone else:P), has made a career of angsting, and has a great deal of on-screen charisma. Of course the big sticking point is he is nowhere in LBH's league acting-wise - he's decent but unspectacular, but while it may be a drawback to the production, it would be a boon to me - I have never been as emotionally involved in a drama as with IRIS, in overwhelming part due to Lee Byung Hun, so I would prefer to not go through the same rollercoaster a second time. KSW can do a competent enough job but leave my soul unwrung.
Allkpop was touting the rumor about Lee Min Ho to which I just laugh. What is this, Baby Agents? Don't mistake me, I love LMH, he is certainly charismatic and, from little I have been able to see, has acting potential needing to be exploited in a good drama. But he's about 10 years too young! Not to mention that while Boys Over Flowers was a huge success, he is nowhere near the top Hallyu star the makers probably are looking for.
If Kwon Sang Woo thing does not work out, my suggestion (if they can talk him into it) is Song Seung Heon. SSH is a huge Hallyu star, on par with Lee Byung Hun (they actually just did a fanmeet "Four Kings of Hallyu" together with Won Bin and Jang Dong Gun - I am not very familiar with Won Bin *gasp* and if anyone gets JDG to come back to dramas I will faint from shock.) He's so gorgeous it hurts to look at him (seriously - I have breathing problems), he does dramas (his last one finished in early 2009), he's in the right age range. He will have no problem playing tough in a fight and being tortured is bread and butter to him (have you seen East of Eden?) And provided they had him take his shirt off once an episode, they could make it a drama about caterpillar hunts and I will be fine with it. He's crazy charismatic too. Once again, not as good an actor as LBH but certainly competent and, as I said, I don't want someone to steal my soul again.
So - any suggestions on your part? Lee Byung Hun wants to know:
