Many people know the Disney brand has a lot of properties under its belt, but one not that many people are aware of are some genres from overseas. The K-Drama slate under Disney+ is one such genre that is being used to expand the brand as well as the shows associated with it. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney+ is adding onto that slate with a buddy cop series titled Han River Police.
This specific series is being marketed as an action and comedy. It is known that the two protagonists would be Kwon Sang-woo (Curtain Call, Stairway to Heaven) and Kim Hee-won (Unlocked, The Man from Nowhere). It is known that Kwon will star as Sergeant Han Dujin and Kim will star as Lieutenant Lee Chunseok. Their characters are polar opposites as Dujin is known to be stern and strict while Chunseok is lax and easy going.
The premise is as follows: “Stuck together on patrol of Seoul’s Han River, the two officers are faced with emergency situations ranging from terrorism to everyday accidents and other incidents requiring emergency assistance.” via. The Hollywood Reporter. For many familiar with this genre, it’s a simple enough story to follow which allows room for character development. This also leaves the opportunity for Kwon and Kim to make their characters their own and create many funny moments between them.
For the past couple of years, many streaming platforms are also jumping on the opportunity to diversify their platforms for audiences worldwide. Besides being able to distribute Western Media, many movies and shows from other countries are now gaining popularity in places such as the United States, Europe, and Australia. Paramount+ just recently announced their launch of Yonder, a Korean Sci-Fi Series set to release in October 2023. Disney has made Korean media necessary to expand its international influence. Other platforms have garnered massive success by focusing on that like Netflix’s Squid Game, Crash Landing on You, & Singles Inferno. In 2020, even the Korean Film, Parasite, won many awards including an Oscar for Best Picture.
The trend is just getting started with Korean works and themes incorporated in Disney’s newest shows. With Han River Police, it re-ignited the sub-genre of buddy cop films into a serialized television show for many younger audiences. Its style could be compared to films with similar premises such as Rush Hour and Last Action Hero. This is the newest show to join other K-drama releases on Disney+ along with Call It Love, Soundtrack #1, and Big Bet, all of which are different genres unique to their stories.
As of now, there are no concrete release dates for Han River Police or who else will be cast. Cited by The Hollywood Reporter, Korea JoongAng Daily reported that both Kwon and Kim will be joined by Shin Hyeon-seung (So Not Worth It, Be My Boyfriend), Lee Sang-yi (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Once Again) and Bae Da-bin (Gangnam Beauty, Do You Like Brahms?) as other officers. More would be reported on Han River Police as information comes out later in the spring.