Smash hit Korean TV drama “My Love From The Star” is to be made into a feature length movie for releasing China.
Chinese production company Meng Jiang Wei has acquired rights to produce a two hour version of the SBS series that originally aired in Korea from December and on Chinese online video platforms shortly after. The company will edit material from the existing show rather than produce new material. Release is expected in summer.
The show features Kim Soo-hyun as an alien trapped on earth for 400 years, but who passes as a near perfect specimen of the human male and in the present day works as a somewhat cynical college professor. Inconceivably, he becomes romantically linked to a beautiful, but obnoxious pop-star/actress, played by Gianna Jun, Korea’s most glamorous movie star.
In China the show has become a cult that has sparked social phenomena, such as the surging popularity of Korean food, and been noticed in political circles. Noticing the impact in China, broadcasters around Asia have since licensed broadcast rights. But even before the show started legally showing outside mainland China and Korea, Kim has become the object of Beatle-mania like fan frenzy. On a recent trip to Hong Kong he was mobbed at the airport.
Meng Jiang Wei has not yet revealed details plans for the film’s release. It is also not clear what rights, if any, the company holds to exploit the film version outside mainland China.