Attention is being drawn to whether Netflix can create a hit series in the first half of this year with its new series ‘The 8 Show’.
Netflix will release the new series ‘The 8 Show’ on May 17th and will strive to achieve success in the first half of the year. ‘The 8 Show’ is a story about eight individuals trapped in a mysterious space divided into eight levels, participating in a sweet yet dangerous show where they earn money as time passes.
Directed by Han Jae-rim, known for works like ‘The Face Reader’, ‘Declaration of Emergency’, and ‘The King’, the series features eight actors including Ryu Jun Yeol, Park Jung Min, and Chun Woo Hee, who are expected to create high anticipation with their unique characters. The series received a lot of attention from drama fans even during the production stage, initially being called ‘Money Game’.
Netflix has been lacking any significant megahit in the first half of this year. Last year’s highly anticipated “Gyeongsang Creature” received negative feedback for its first part but successfully improved its response with its second part, and is currently awaiting a second season. ‘Sweet Home’ Season 2 fell short in terms of response compared to the first season and had to promise a third season despite the criticism.
The first work of this year, director Yeon Sang-ho’s “The Bequeathed,” was released on January 19th and ranked 4th on Netflix’s global top 10 (non-English TV category) in just three days, and entered the top 10 in 10 countries. However, it did not receive a significant response from domestic viewers.
“A Killer Paradox,” released on February 9th, fared relatively better among the works released this year. It reached 2nd place globally in just three days and entered the top 10 in 19 countries. It also received a positive response from domestic viewers, but falls slightly short of being considered a new hit to represent Netflix.
“Chicken Nugget”, released on March 15th, crumbled as significantly as its experimental attempt. “Chicken Nugget” is a comedic mystery drama about Min-ah (Kim Yoo Jung), who enters a mysterious machine and turns into fried chicken, and her father Seon-man (Ryeo Seung Ryong) and Baek-jung (Ahn Jae Hong), who has a crush on her, trying to turn her back to normal.
“Parasyte: The Grey.” released on April 2nd, brought redemption through director Park Hoon-jung’s resurrection after the disappointment of his last drama. It topped the global top 10 for the first time in a while and entered the top 10 in 68 countries, receiving a global response. However, the popularity was somewhat disappointing. Instead, ‘Queen of Tears’ received a syndrome-level response from domestic viewers and consumed the majority of the drama pie. Notably, ‘Queen of Tears’ aired on tvN and was distributed on Netflix in certain countries.
The most recent release, “Goodbye Earth” tells the story of people living together until the end despite the chaos caused by the imminent collision of the Earth because of a small asteroid. It gained even more attention as Yoo Ah In is currently undergoing trial for drug charges. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any significant response since its release.
Netflix plans to release the next seasons of representative works that have achieved global success in the previous seasons, such as “Gyeongsang Creature” Season 2, ‘Squid Game’ Season 2, ‘Hellbound’ Season 2, and ‘Sweet Home’ Season 3. The birth of a new syndrome that will continue the legacy of global hit works is eagerly anticipated, and ‘The 8 Show’ is drawing attention as a source of new vitality for Netflix series.
Source: (A)
