News

A Shop for Killers, directed by Lee Kwon, is a South Korean thriller drama on Hulu that has a 100% critic and 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It premiered on Jan. 17, 2024, and season 1 ran till Feb. 7, 2024. The story is based on Kang Ji-young’s novel called The Killer’s Shopping List. Starring Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun, the plot follows a college student as she discovers her uncle’s secret life.

She finds out that her uncle was a dark web arms dealer as well as a mercenary. So, when assassins come after her, she will have to rely on whatever he taught her to survive. This K-drama features stylish, high-octane action sequences with a gripping plot throughout its 8 episodes. Also, this action-thriller is now one of Hulu’s highest-rated shows, and it should be on everyone’s must-watch list.

Why Every Crime Drama Fan Needs to Watch A Shop for Killers...

Among the genres that South Korean TV shows, or K-dramas, particularly excel at are stylish crime thrillers, often taking their cues from American pop culture. Indeed, one of the more popular sources of inspiration in this regard is the work of the filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who's always had visual flair when it comes to staging the action set pieces to his movies, especially his two-part revenge epic "Kill Bill." To be sure, certain K-dramas have been visibly influenced by Tarantino's storytelling sensibilities, especially the 2024 series "A Shop for Killers." Currently available to stream on Hulu, the show puts its own uniquely South Korean twist on outlandish contract killers with plenty of pizzazz.

"A Shop for Killers" follows Jeong Ji-an (Kim Hye-jun), an orphan who was raised by her uncle, Jeong Jin-man (Lee Dong-wook), after her parents died. However, when Jin-man suddenly passes away and leaves the seemingly normal...

Disney+ has confirmed that A Shop for Killers, its high-impact Korean action series, will return for a second season. The announcement follows the show’s strong performance across Asia-Pacific markets and marks the latest entry in the platform’s expanding slate of Korean-language programming.

Based on the novel by Kang Ji-young, A Shop for Killers centers on Ji-an, a college student whose life is upended when her uncle, Jinman, disappears under suspicious circumstances. Raised by him and trained in survival, Ji-an finds herself under siege by professional assassins who are after the vast weapons cache left behind. The series blends real-time action with sequences from Ji-an’s childhood, offering a dual narrative that explores her uncle’s past and her own evolving skillset.

The second season will see the return of Lee Dongwook as Jinman and Kim Hyejun as Ji-an. Both actors were central to the first season’s story,...

Propulsive Korean action drama A Shop for Killers has been renewed for a second season at Disney+.

Based on a novel of the same Korean title by Kang Ji-young, A Shop for Killers follows Ji-an, a woman raised by her uncle, a mysterious mercenary. After her uncle’s apparent death, she inherits his deadly weapons shop—and his enemies. As assassins close in, flashbacks reveal her uncle’s brutal past.

Season two will feature returning Korean stars Lee Dongwook (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938) and Kim Hyejun (Connect, Kingdom) and see the addition of Japanese actors Masaki Okada (Drive My Car, We’re Millenials. Got a Problem?) and Hyunri (Pachinko, The Naked Director). Lee Kwon (Save Me 2, Door Lock) and writers Ji Hojin and Lee Kwon also return for the sophomore season.

The eight-part first season of A Shop for Killers debuted on Disney+ (Hulu in the U.

Kingdom is Netflix’s 98% Horror Series(Photo Credit –Netflix)

Few things hit harder than the ache of unfinished stories, especially when it comes to a show that’s not just good but nearly perfect. Kingdom – the South Korean horror series that’s been haunting Netflix queues and fan forums since 2019. With a jaw-dropping 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s clear this isn’t your average zombie fare. This is high-stakes, high-quality storytelling with a historical twist.

Zombies Meet Political Intrigue

The show made its mark quickly, unleashing its first two seasons back-to-back in 2019 and 2020, followed by a tantalizing special episode, Ashin of the North, in 2021. But now it has become a complete Mia for which fans are understandably growing restless.

The Kingdom, set in a plague-ridden Joseon dynasty, centers around a kingdom in chaos and a crown prince fighting to protect his people from an outbreak far more sinister than it seems.

Utilizing violence and gore tastefully but effectively in sci-fi TV shows can be difficult, as there needs to be a balance between the intense action scenes and the character-driven breaks in the tension. However, one of the most fun parts of contemporary television is how much can be achieved in creating graphic violence through both practical and CGI effects. While blood-soaked thrillers aren't for all audiences, they're extraordinarily fun, and these TV shows hit home for viewers who love seeing a story's beats expressed through visceral chills. Understanding that gore is for both serious and comedic effects is crucial.

There are recent sci-fi shows that didn't deserve to be canceled that provided plenty of graphic action sequences that kept viewers on the edge of their seats throughout the episodes. When introducing intense violence, a series usually takes one of two routes. Either the sudden gore is shocking and punctuates a particularly devastating scene,...

2024 is nearly half over and while it’s a wasteland at the box office this year for television fans it is one of the better years as we have gotten many brilliant shows both at the big and small scale. With incredible series like Masters of the Air starting the year, there was no way that the rest of the year could go bad and that’s what happened because we got powerful and thrilling shows like Shōgun, Fallout, and 3 Body Problem. So, if you want to know the best new shows that came out this year here are the top picks for you. We have only added the shows that came out with their first season this year and excluded the shows that returning with a new season.

Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Baby Reindeer is a psychological thriller and dark comedy series created by Richard Gadd. Based on Gadd...

Korean Action

Korean action drama “A Shop For Killers” has become the most viewed local original on Disney+ in the Asia Pacific region so far in 2024, the streamer has revealed.

Set in contemporary Korea, the eight-part series follows college student Jeong Jian who dives for cover in her childhood home after a series of highly skilled assassins come after her. Fighting to survive, Jian begins to remember invaluable lessons her uncle taught her before his apparent suicide, drawing on them to help her stay alive. Jian now has to uncover her uncle’s hidden past and figure out why so many people are desperate to gain access to her house and the extensive arsenal hidden inside.

The cast includes Lee Dongwook (“Guardian: The Lonely”) and Kim Hyejun (“Connect”). “A Shop For Killers” is based on the popular novel by Kang Jiyoung, written by Ji Hojin and Lee Kwon, and directed...

The star of A Shop for Killers on Disney+ and Hulu recently gave a grim update on the possibility of a Season 2.

A Shop for Killers, starring Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun, recently released Season 1 on Disney+ in select regions and on Hulu in the United States.

The South Korean action series, adapted from Kang Ji-young's novel, follows a young woman raised by her uncle in a dubious shopping mall. 

Read full article on The Direct.

A Shop for Killers is a new Korean drama on Disney+ internationally and Hulu in the U.S., following a young woman who must fight back against mysterious assassins to survive. Lead actors Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun play uncle and niece, with the former's death triggering a series of unfortunate events for the latter. Lee and Kim discuss their favorite moments in the show thus far, as well as the most challenging scenes they had to shoot.

A Shop For Killers is the latest original Korean drama from Disney+, following in the wake of 2023's The Worst of Evil. Airing on Hulu in the U.S., the 8-episode thriller follows a young woman named Jeong Ji-an (Kim Hye-jun) who lives with her uncle Jin-man after the shocking death of her parents. Unbeknownst to Ji-an, her quiet childhood was filled with survival lessons she will need to put to...

The following contains minor spoilers for A Shop for Killers Episodes 1 and 2, now streaming on Disney Plus.

A Shop for Killers foregoes the usual recount of a killer's solitary life and tells the story of a man who has left behind a dangerous legacy for his niece. Directed by Lee Kwon and Noh Gyu-yeob with a screenplay from Ji Ho-jin and Kwon, the South Korean series is based on the novel The Killer's Shopping Mall by Kang Ji-young. The novel already has a surprising number of adaptations, including a webtoon and a loosely based comedy. The latest adaptation is produced by Disney and features Lee Dong-wook as the mysterious Jeong Ji-man and Kim Hye-jun as the sharp Jeong Ji-an in the lead roles.

It is common for TV shows and action movies to let characters fight for some high-stakes entertainment. However, the most interesting characters are the ones on the...

A Shop for Killers is an action drama series created by Ji Ho-jin and Lee Kwon. The Korean series is based on a novel titled The Killer’s Shopping Mall by Kang Ji-young, and it revolves around the story of a young girl who grew up with her uncle after the death of her parents. Her uncle runs a suspicious shopping mall and when he dies, some very dangerous assassins come looking for her, and now the only way to survive is to execute the training her uncle gave her during her childhood.

The Disney+ series stars Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun in the lead roles and for the action fans it has a lot of great moments with solid character work that will make you feel the uncertainty of the story and the characters.

A Shop for Killers – Episode Guide (When are the Episodes Coming Out?) Credit – Disney+

A Shop for Killers...

The Korean drama A Shop For Killers has been directed under the able guidance of Lee Kwon. The series stars faces like Kim Hye-jun and Lee Dong-wook, who seem to do justice to their roles. The dark action-thriller series revolves around hitmen trying to hunt down Jeong Jinman’s niece, Jeong Jian. Jinman had been involved in the weapon smuggling market, which had taken a toll on his personal life. The series highlights the horrific aftermath of accessing the dark web. Will Jian be able to survive the attacks on her life? Will Jinman’s lessons for self-survival help Jian? Let’s find out!

Spoilers Ahead

How Does Jeong Jinman Survive The Hitman?

A hitman was seen taking shots at Jeong Jinman’s house, which Jian was trying to dodge. Her friend, Bae Jeongmin, was already seen lying flat on the floor after being injured, and Minhye (Jinman’s Chinese...

Hulu has always been the streaming service for the people who want to get their money’s worth and this month with some brand new animes, some original shows and movies, and a Marvel series they will get it. So, start the first month of the new year with Hulu’s entertaining offerings and handpick what to watch this month CinemaBlind is always here to help you.

Ishura Season 1 (January 3)

Anime is one of the most popular and creative platforms for telling out-of-this-world stories and over the years, it is becoming more and more mainstream with some animes like Attack of Titan, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and many more becoming even more popular than your average streaming shows. Hulu has always been ahead in the anime game in the US, if we compare it to other streaming services this month we will see the second part of The Devil is a Part Timer!

Award

British presenter, broadcaster, filmmaker, author and historian, professor David Olusoga, will be presented with a BAFTA Special Award at the upcoming BAFTA Television Awards on May 14. The award is one of BAFTA’s highest honors recognizing an outstanding contribution to film, games or television.

Olusoga’s credits include presenting history series “A House Through Time” (BBC Two), writing and presenting series “Black & British: A Forgotten History” (BBC Two) and the BAFTA-winning “Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners.” In recent years he led major interviews with the former President of the United States, Barack Obama and lectures including the Edinburgh TV Festival MacTaggart Lecture in 2020.

Olusoga said: “It is humbling to have my work in television, as both a producer and a presenter, recognized in this way.”

Jane Millichip, CEO at BAFTA added: “We are honoured to present David Olusoga the BAFTA Special Award at our forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards with P&o Cruises.

"He will start killing the moment he wakes up." Hulu has revealed an official trailer for Connect, their new streaming series made by Disney+ Korea. It's directed by none other than Japanese legend Takashi Miike, which is why this has such a wicked cool style. It first premiered at the 2022 Busan Film Festival a few months ago, and we featured a teaser trailer back then as well. In this new series, adapted from the Manga, an "immortal" man is kidnapped and one of his eyes is removed by a gang of organ hunters. The eye is then transplanted into the body of a serial killer… The unwilling donor now has terrible visions as he witnesses terrifying attacks on the residents of Seoul. But he also really wants his eye back, and will stop at nothing to find it. The series stars Jung Hae-in, Go Kyung-pyo, and Kim Hye-jun. This looks crazy!

Korean actor Park Seo-joon will star in the upcoming superhero movie “The Marvels” to be released in July 2023.

He joins a growing roster of Korean talent that is joining Disney-backed content and was one of many Korean names dropped Wednesday at a Disney content showcase in Singapore.

Park is known for roles in TV series “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” and the 2020 drama “Itaewon Class.” He follows fellow Korean Claudia Kim in 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and Korean American Ma Dong-seok (aka Don Lee) in 2021’s “Eternals” in Marvel-branded content. Earlier this month, “Squid Games” star Lee Jung-jae was announced as joining Star Wars series “The Acolyte,” for Disney +.

Korean stars Jung Haein, Ko Kyungpyo, Kim Hyejun attended the Singapore event in person. Stars Lee Donghwi and Heo Sungtae and director Kang Yunsung, all with upcoming Disney+ show “Big Bet,” put in an appearance. So too did Japanese director Miike Takashi,...

The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific has revealed an expansion of its 70-year collaboration with publishing house Kodansha to include Japanese anime. Disney and Kodansha have worked together in the publishing space, and will now venture into the world of anime.

The expanded collaboration will include licensing exclusive SVOD anime titles based on manga produced by Kodansha. These will begin with “Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown Arc” that will launch exclusively on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar in Jan. 2023.

Yoshinobu Noma, Kodansha representative director and president, said: “The special relationship between Kodansha and Disney stretches back over 70 years, and has seen us bring to life many Disney licensed publications. With today’s announcement, we are thrilled to be able to further diversify and elevate the relationship between our two companies and share even more of our beloved anime titles with the world on Disney+ and its streaming platforms.”

Carol Choi, executive VP of original content strategy,...

Click here to read the full article.

At the start of a splashy Asia-Pacific content showcase held in Singapore Wednesday, The Walt Disney Company revealed that it is expanding its long-running partnership with Japanese publishing powerhouse Kodansha to co-produce a growing slate of anime originals for the Disney+ streaming service.

The expanded collaboration also will include licensing exclusive anime titles based on manga produced by Kodansha, starting with Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown Arc, which will launch exclusively on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar in January 2023.

“We are thrilled to deepen our strategic collaboration with our long standing partner Kodansha on such an exciting genre,” said Carol Choi, Disney’s executive vp of original content strategy in Apac. “Japanese anime fills the white space in our content development plans and we believe this expanded collaboration will be a game changer in Disney’s future animation strategy in Japan. We look forward to...

What the hell do we have here?! Disney has revealed a teaser trailer for a new horror thriller series called Connect, made for Disney+ Korea. Premiering at the 2022 Busan Film Festival before it's streaming later this year. I can't even believe that Disney made this, and hired the legendary Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike (!!) to direct, but hell yes why not. In this series, adapted from the Manga, a man is kidnapped and one of his eyes is removed by a gang of organ hunters. The eye is then transplanted into the body of a serial killer… The unwilling donor now has terrible visions as he witnesses terrifying attacks on the residents of Seoul. The series stars Jung Hae-in, Go Kyung-pyo, and Kim Hye-jun. This has some gnarly footage in it for a teaser that is barely 60 seconds long. Does this supernatural eye help people heal, too? How does the story...

I've always thought it was a bit unfair to pigeonhole Takashi Miike as a director known solely for shock and horror. While some of his most famous movies, such as "Audition" and "Ichi the Killer," do fall in this realm, he's also made everything from family movies to legal comedies and even musicals throughout his lengthy career. He's also had his hand in directing episodes of television, the most famous of which is arguably his "Masters of Horror" episode "Imprint."

While that episode might have been banned from airing on Showtime in 2006, Miike has got a new horror series on the way. Unfortunately it's unclear when it'll be available in the United States, because for now it looks like "Connect" will be airing exclusively on Disney+ Korea. As previously stated, Miike has experience in making kid-friendly fare, but this looks anything but.

It should probably be noted that Disney+ here...

Here’s a bit of news I bet you never thought you’d hear… the great Takashi Miike has directed “Connect”, a series for Disney+ Korea.

Yes, the iconic Japanese filmmaker responsible for Auditon, Dead or Alive, Gozu, Visitor Q, and Ichi the Killer, is working for The Mouse.

In the series adapted from the Manga, a man is kidnapped and one of his eyes is removed by a gang of organ hunters. The eye is then transplanted into the body of a serial killer…

The unwilling donor now has terrible visions as he witnesses terrifying attacks on the residents of Seoul.

It stars Jung Hae-in, Go Kyung-pyo, and Kim Hye-jun.

Variety first reported that the 6-part, 45 mins per episode series will play in Busan on Oct. 6-7, 2022.

Check out the first trailer.

The post “Connect” Trailer – Takashi MIike Directed a Series for…Disney+ Korea?! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!

Prolific Japanese film director Miike Takashi and Indonesian genre specialist Kimo Stamboel will be among the star names in the ‘On Screen’ section of the Busan International Film Festival given over to TV series.

Miike has made “Connect,” a Korean-language crime fantasy thriller about a man who is kidnapped and has one of his eyes removed by a gang of organ harvesters and transplanted into the body of a notorious serial killer. The unwilling donor now has terrible visions as he witnesses terrifying attacks on the residents of Seoul. The show was written by Nakamura Masaru and Heo Dam (“Monstrum”).

It features Korean talent including Jung Haein in the lead role and Ko Kyungpyo as the serial killer, and Kim Hyejun as the mysterious Irang.

The 6-part, 45 mins per episode series is produced by Studio Dragon and is to be presented as a Star Original on the Disney+ streaming platform.