Japan to remake Jang Keun-suk, Park Shin-hye starrer "He's Beautiful"

Poster for SBS TV series "He's Beautiful" [SBS]

Japan will produce a remake of hit Korean TV series "He's Beautiful," a report by a Japanese daily paper has said.

The digital version of Mainichi Shimbun reported on Wednesday that Japanese broadcaster TBS will create a remake of the 2009 SBS drama which will go on air every Friday night starting July.

Japanese actress and former singer Miori Takimoto, boy band Kis-My-Ft2’s Tamamori Yuta and Fujigaya Taisuke, and boy band Hey!Say!JUMP’s Yaotome Hikaru will take on the roles played by Korean actress Park Shin-hye, singer-actors Jang Keun-suk, Jung Yong-hwa and Lee Hong-gi, respectively.

"I'm looking forward to how my role of Hwang Tae-kyung will be acted out. I'm rooting for the new Hwang," Jang was quoted as saying about the casting for the remake.

An official with Park's agency 4HIM Entertainment told 10Asia that the actress was "happy and excited" about the remake, particularly when it had already been shown in Japan several times.

In "He's Beautiful," Park played the role of a girl in boy disguise who joins popular rock band A.N.JELL and gets caught up in a love rectangle with its members played by Jang, Jung and Lee.

The show maintained relatively strong viewership ratings despite competing against KBS blockbuster drama "IRIS" starring top actors Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-hee and was a success overseas as well, selling its publication rights to several broadcaster's throughout Asia including CCTV (China), BBTV (Thailand), GMA (Philippines), MATV (Singapore) and KNTV (Japan).

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Jessica Kim jesskim@