Korea-Japan Short-Form Drama 'Nebula' to Release in December
Season Project 'Beyond the Star' Launches
Ahn Jae-wook's 'The Star in My Heart' as Motive
"Idol Journey Reflecting Reality Like Agency Mergers"
Director An Seong-gon, the ancestor of observational cameras and legendary for SBS's 'reverse drama' hits like 'Hey Hey Hey' and 'I Am a Pet,' is creating a Korea-Japan joint short-form drama depicting a K-pop idol group.
Production companies Podonamu Media Group and D.D. Entertainment announced on the 23rd that the Korea-Japan joint short-form drama 'Nebula' will begin filming in early next month. Ahead of this, a production presentation will be held on the 26th at a cafe on Nonhyeon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It will be released on short-form platforms such as Japan's online video service (OTT) platform U Next, Ameba TV, and Lilshot in December, and later broadcast on Japanese terrestrial TV and domestic cable TV.
(From left) Im Nayoung, Park Geonil, Shin Jua, Qri [Photo by Podonamu Media Group, DDition Entertainment]
'Nebula' depicts the journey of Japanese and Korean girls overcoming hardships while dreaming of debuting as a K-pop idol group. It tells the story of a Japanese girl who comes to Korea dreaming of becoming a K-pop star and the experiences she faces. Many actors who are former popular idols appear in the drama. Lim Na-young, a former member of the group I.O.I, plays Kokomi, the leader of the girl group Nebula, and Park Gun-il, formerly of Supernova, portrays Han Sun-woo, the hitmaker producing Nebula. Other cast members include actors Shin Joo-ah, T-ara member Qri, Lee Jin-i, and Japanese singer Ria.
'Nebula' is the Season 1 content of the project 'Beyond the Star.' Director An explained, "Some people disappear after dreaming of becoming singers, while others become big stars like the sun. 'Nebula' (meaning nebula) is a metaphorical title reflecting this." He added, "We plan to deeply explore the journey of those dreaming of becoming idols and want to portray the K-pop market diversely, reflecting realities such as agency mergers."
The OST (original soundtrack) for the idol group 'Nebula's' activities is produced by Jung Mo of the group Trax, who is the music director. The drama is inspired by the 1997 drama 'Stars in My Heart,' starring actor Ahn Jae-wook. Director An said, "At that time, the song sung by Ahn Jae-wook became a huge hit, leading him to work as an actual singer. We hope 'Beyond the Star' will be a reincarnation of Ahn Jae-wook." He continued, "Although it is a drama, we want to develop it with the feeling of nurturing real singers. From Season 2, new members will be selected through open auditions. We also want to gather OST songs from multiple seasons and hold performances in large theaters. We are considering broadcasting the member selection process as a spin-off audition program."
Director An is determined to develop the 'Beyond the Star' project into a second 'Star Wars' series. He viewed it as "a global theme since the domestic system for nurturing K-pop stars is recognized worldwide." He also mentioned plans for various expansions, including Vietnamese and Thai versions.
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