[Comprehensive] Disney Plus, After Warm-Up, Will It Settle in the K-Market with 'Grid'?

'Grid' Released on 16th
Starring Seo Kang-joon, Kim Ah-joong, Kim Sung-kyun
Will Disney Plus Secure Its Place in the Korean Market?

Photo by Disney Plus

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Is the warm-up over? The online video service (OTT) Disney Plus is drawing attention as to whether it will finally settle in the K-market with the mystery thriller "Grid."

On the morning of the 16th, Kim Ah-joong expressed confidence at the Disney Plus original series "Grid" online production presentation, saying, "If you are a genre enthusiast, this is a must-watch drama."

"Grid" depicts the story of people chasing after a mysterious entity called Ghost, who disappeared after creating the protective shield Grid that saved humanity from solar winds, but reappears after 24 years as an accomplice to a murderer, each pursuing their own goals.

Recently, mystery thriller genres have performed well in the domestic market. Disney Plus is making a determined push into the domestic market with production staff and actors who have stood out in genre works.

Writer Lee Soo-yeon, who penned the popular drama series "Secret Forest," and director Lee Gun, who directed the 2019 film "The Divine Move: The Wrathful" (Shin-ui Hansu: Gwisu-pyeon), have joined forces to present 10 episodes. Actors Seo Kang-joon, Kim Ah-joong, Kim Moo-yul, Kim Sung-kyun, and Lee Si-young play major roles.

On the day, director Lee Gun said, "It was not an easy decision to participate in directing, but after receiving the script, the theme of 'Let's protect the Earth' moved me. I wondered why there have been no works dealing with protecting the Earth in Korea, so I was glad to meet 'Grid,'" explaining his reason for taking the helm.

He added, "This is not a work that visually emphasizes various SF elements. We focused on implementing the story based as much as possible on reality," and explained the focus, "We also considered that the video would be viewed on screens smaller than cinema screens."

Photo by Disney Plus

Kim Ah-joong, who plays detective Jung Sae-byeok, who accidentally gets involved in a huge mystery in "Grid," said, "It was fun while filming. The character is full of a sense of justice and humanity, so there are emotional aspects," adding, "Reading the script made my heart warm."

Lee Si-young, who plays the mysterious Ghost holding an important key, said, "I was always the one chasing before, but it was fun to be chased for the first time. Since the character knows all the secrets, I was always above and carefree," adding, "While reading the script, I was curious about what connections there were with the main roles."

Kim Sung-kyun, who plays the unidentified murderer Kim Ma-nok, said, "It's been a while since I greeted you as a murderer," explaining, "He is a convenience store murderer who receives help from Ghost. He is a character without social skills and lives by instinct. If he's hungry, he eats; if he's scared, he runs away."

Recently, Disney Plus's JTBC drama "Snowdrop," which it invested in and produced, ended with disappointing results after controversy, and the spin-off variety show "Running Man" and the ambitiously launched drama "Police University" received lukewarm responses, leading to evaluations that Disney Plus has not yet fully adapted to the K-content market. Attention is focused on whether "Grid" will finally settle in the domestic market.

Kim Ah-joong said, "This is my first greeting through an OTT work, and I am happy and excited to present a work we worked hard on to global viewers." Kim Moo-yul also said, "(The worldwide release) is an unreal story," adding, "I hope 'Grid' will be a work that plays a key role at a time when our culture is receiving great attention worldwide, and I also feel a sense of responsibility."

"Grid" will release its first episode on the 16th and will release one episode every Wednesday for 10 weeks.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.