Jisoo of BLACKPINK and actor Park Jung-Min will reportedly form an unconventional duo in a new zombie K-drama series, titled Influenza. According to a report by YTN, the two will play a couple who must fight their way through a zombie horde to reach each other. The K-drama is an adaptation of a novel by Han Sang Woon.
Influenza will be written by Parasite scriptwriter Han Ji-Won and Ji Ho-Jin. It will be directed by Yoon Seong-Hyun. The report also offered further details about the lead characters in the K-drama.
The story revolves around a soldier named Jae-Yoon and his girlfriend Yeong-Joo. Jae-Yoon enlists in the army at age 26 in an attempt to seek alternative employment. He is insecure and anxious about his future, and eventually breaks up with Yeong-Joo. When the zombie apocalypse begins, he is forced to fight for his survival. It is revealed that he gradually takes a more active role as a squad leader.
Meanwhile, Yeong-Joo is described as an inexperienced newbie in society. When Jae-Yoon breaks up with her, a heartbroken Yeong-Joo decides to travel towards him to reconcile. She eventually conquers her own fears while fighting the zombie horde and becomes a stronger person.
At the time of writing, no broadcast date has been confirmed for the series. There has also been no official word from either Jisoo or Park Jung-Min about their involvement in the K-drama.
The stars’ previous roles
If confirmed, this will be Jisoo’s first leading role in a K-drama since the 2021 historical romance Snowdrop. At the time, Jisoo received a lot of attention for her performance as a college student who falls in love with a North Korean agent played by Jung Hae-In.
Park Jung-Min has had a prolific career in both feature films and K-drama series. He has had notable roles in diverse films such as Svaha: The Sixth Finger, Time To Hunt and Deliver Us From Evil. He will also be starring in the Netflix historical film War and Revolt.
Soon after the YTN report was released, Park Jung-Min’s agency SEM Company released a statement clarifying his involvement in Influenza. They denied that he had officially signed on to the K-drama, but confirmed that “it is one of the projects he reviewing”.
While it appears to be a little too early to speculate, we certainly will be looking forward to further news about this intriguing new zombie K-drama series!
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