Disney+ Greenlights Korean Remake of Hit Spy Thriller ‘The Americans’
Disney+ is expanding its Korean original content slate with “The Koreans,” a reimagining of the acclaimed FX series “The Americans.” Production has officially begun on the series, which will stream internationally on Disney+ and on Hulu in the U.S.
The series stars Lee Byung-hun, known for his role in “Squid Game,” and Han Ji-min, of “Heavenly Ever After,” as a North Korean spy couple embedded in South Korea. Deadline first reported the casting news on March 25, 2026.
A New Setting for a Familiar Premise
Set in the early 1990s, a period of significant democratization and cultural change in South Korea, “The Koreans” follows a seemingly ordinary middle-class family harboring a dangerous secret. Both parents are, in fact, elite North Korean spies tasked with undermining the South from within. Variety details the series’ focus on the spies’ internal conflicts as they grapple with patriotism, loyalty, identity, and love, all while a relentless Korean counterintelligence agent closes in on their true identities.
Creative Team and Production
Park Eun-kyo (“Made in Korea,” “Mother”) is adapting the series from “The Americans,” and Ahn Gil-ho (“The Glory”) is directing. The series is a production of IMAGINUS and Studio AA. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Disney Television Studios chief Eric Schrier, who originally developed “The Americans,” was initially hesitant about the remake but was ultimately won over by the unique storytelling potential of a Korean adaptation.
The Legacy of ‘The Americans’
“The Americans,” created by Joe Weisberg and showrun by Joel Fields and Weisberg, originally aired for six seasons from 2013 to 2018 on FX. The series garnered critical acclaim, winning a Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Drama and being named an AFI TV Program of the Year for five consecutive years. ScreenRant highlights the show’s enduring legacy as a compelling spy thriller.
Expanding Disney+’s Korean Originals
“The Koreans” joins Disney+ APAC’s growing slate of Korean originals, including “Tempest,” “Made in Korea,” and “The Tyrant.” This remake represents Disney’s first local-language adaptation of one of its hit scripted series and boasts one of the largest budgets for Disney+’s Asian originals to date. The Hollywood Reporter emphasizes that the idea for the remake originated from Disney’s existing content relationships in Korea, rather than a top-down corporate directive.
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