Disney+ Greenlights Korean Remake of Critically Acclaimed Spy Thriller ‘The Americans’
Disney+ is moving forward with a Korean adaptation of the Emmy-winning FX series The Americans, titled The Koreans. The series will star Lee Byung-hun and Han Ji-min as North Korean spies posing as a married couple in 1990s South Korea, The Hollywood Reporter reports.
A New Cold War in Korea
Set against the backdrop of South Korea’s democratization and cultural modernization in the early 1990s, The Koreans will follow a seemingly ordinary middle-class family harboring a treasonous secret. Lee Byung-hun and Han Ji-min will portray elite North Korean agents tasked with destabilizing South Korea from within, navigating the complexities of loyalty, identity and family while evading detection by Korean counterintelligence.
From FX to Disney+: A Hesitant Beginning
Eric Schrier, president of Disney Television Studios, initially expressed reservations about remaking The Americans, a series he originally developed while at FX Entertainment. “I was the guy who developed The Americans,” Schrier admitted, noting his close relationship with the original creators, Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields. However, he was ultimately convinced by the unique storytelling potential of transplanting the premise to a Korean context and the passion of the local production team.
Organic Development and Local Focus
The remake originated from Disney’s existing content relationships in Korea, rather than a corporate mandate to exploit existing intellectual property. Disney emphasizes a “local for local” strategy, prioritizing content with strong regional appeal, complemented by its global franchises like Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. This will be the company’s first local-language adaptation of a hit scripted series and will have one of the largest budgets for a Disney+ Asian original to date.
Creative Team and Production Style
Park Eun-kyo, co-writer of Bong Joon-ho’s Mother and the Disney+ series Made in Korea, is writing and adapting The Koreans. Ahn Gil-ho, director of the Netflix psychological thriller The Glory, is helming the series. Notably, the production will follow a Korean television model, with a single writer and director for each episode, differing from the typical American writers’ room and revolving director system. Lee Hee-joon also joins the cast in an undisclosed lead role.
Star Power and Audience Appeal
Disney is particularly enthusiastic about the casting of Lee Byung-hun, a highly recognizable star in Korea known for his roles in Joint Security Area and Squid Game. Carol Choi, Disney’s executive vp of content strategy and marketing in the Asia-Pacific region, highlighted the series’ rich family dynamics and Lee’s star power as key factors in its potential success in Korea and surrounding Asian markets.
Original Creators’ Blessing
Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, the creators of The Americans, were consulted about the remake and gave their support. While they chose not to be directly involved in the production, they expressed interest in visiting the set.
The Koreans is part of Disney’s broader strategy to accelerate local-language content production in key Asia-Pacific markets, including Japan and Australia.
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