I'm looking forward to the drama Remarried Empress~~

It was originally a web novel, but it was so popular that it was made into a webtoon, right?

I like web novels, so I tried to read it, but I gave up because of the length.

I'm excited that it's being made into a drama~~

Plus, the cast is so gorgeous~~ Shin Min-a, Lee Se-young, Joo Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk...

I think I'll try my hand at writing web novels before I start doing dramas.

[SBS Entertainment News | (Hong Kong) Reporter Kim Ji-hye] "I'm familiar with this kind of story and setting, as I debuted as a crown prince."

Joo Ji-hoon The unique joke made over 400 Asian press members laugh simultaneously. Based on a webtoon that has become a global phenomenon, with approximately 2.6 billion cumulative global views (as of December 2024), Disney+'s original series " The remarried empress The outline of ' has been revealed.

'The Remarried Empress' is the perfect empress of the Eastern Empire, 'Navie' ( Shin Min-a ) is a runaway slave 'Rasta' ( Lee Se-young ) receives a divorce notice from the emperor 'Soviet' (Joo Ji-hoon), who is in love with her, and instead accepts it, she marries the prince of the Western Kingdom, 'Heinri' ( Lee Jong-suk ) is a romantic fantasy epic that unfolds as a woman demands permission to remarry. The original web novel of the same name, which began serialization in 2018, gained explosive popularity and was expanded into a webtoon, captivating readers around the world with translations into ten languages. The film adaptation of this super IP was a foregone conclusion. Disney+ invested in the project, and the stellar cast of Joo Ji-hoon, Shin Min-a, Lee Jong-suk, and Lee Se-young met the high expectations of global fans.

The trailer for "The Remarried Empress" premiered at the "Disney+ Originals Preview 2025" event held at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel on the morning of the 13th. While the faces of the Korean actors were clearly familiar, the setting and costumes felt far removed from Korea and Asia. While the short footage alone didn't capture the work's appeal and completeness, it certainly piqued interest and raised expectations for a Korean version of "Bridgerton."

The leader of the "Remarried Empress" team was Joo Ji-hoon. At the event that day, he introduced the work and its characters with his characteristic wit and displayed strong confidence in the content. In this work, Joo Ji-hoon plays Sobieshu, the emperor of the Eastern Empire who holds absolute power. He was educated with Nabiye since childhood and became a powerful monarch, but he breaks his promise to Nabiye that he would not have a concubine in his life and demands a shocking divorce. Joo Ji-hoon piques curiosity by portraying Sobieshu's intense charisma and foreshadowing his captivating chemistry with Shin Min-a and Lee Se-young.

Joo Ji-hoon revealed the reason he decided to appear in the work, saying, "I was curious about how the webtoon, which has been loved all over the world, would be realized. I've been enjoying the phenomenon of fantasy worlds expanding across East and West and races, and I thought, what would it be like if I appeared in it?"

Given that this fantasy romance is set in a constitutional monarchy, Joo Ji-hoon likely recalls fond memories of his debut and breakout film, "Princess Hours." The 2006 drama "Princess Hours" was also based on a webtoon of the same name. While the original work was initially a graphic novel, the webtoon format is now the foundation of the series.

At the time, there were concerns about the drama's unfamiliar worldview and setting, but it was a resounding success, and Joo Ji-hoon rose to stardom. Twenty years later, the fantasy romance and constitutional monarchy concept doesn't seem like an overly adventurous endeavor for a drama. Viewers are more than ready to embrace the drama's setting and entertainment value. Furthermore, "The Remarried Empress" already boasts a massive global fan base through web novels and webtoons.

However, when it comes to grounding the characters in a fantasy-like world for viewers, the script and direction are crucial, but the actors' roles are equally crucial. Even if the setting is fantasy, the drama—that is, the emotions—must be realistic. This is crucial for the four main characters, Joo Ji-hoon, Shin Min-a, Lee Jong-suk, and Lee Se-young, to lead the drama.

Expectations are especially high for Joo Ji-hoon, who has consistently shown success in this area. He rose to stardom with "Palace" and " Major Trauma Center ' is enjoying a second heyday. 'Joo Ji-hoon = A man who looks like he came straight out of a comic book' has been proven through numerous results to be a successful formula.

The intriguing world of 'The Remarried Empress' opens on Disney+ in 2026.