If a movie is successful, it can always become a kdrama. And it works the other way too. If a kdrama wins hearts, it may be edited down to film length.
Here are a few examples of how it worked both ways.
“Bridget Jones Diary” was not a kmovie but it was definitely the inspiration for “My Lovely Kim Sam Soon.” In “Bridget Jones Diary,” the curvy Bridget Jones obsesses about weight and her totally unsuitable boss and winds up with a much better match. In “My Lovely Kim Sam Soon,” Kim Sun Ah is considered overweight, although she looks fine. She obsesses about her pastry making skills and her totally unsuitable ex-boyfriend but winds up with boss Hyun Bin. But if you’re wondering if it was fair to use their idea for a kdrama, remember that “Bridget Jones Diary” was inspired by Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.”
The romantic comedy “Cyrano Dating Agency” starring Uhm Tae Woong, Lee Min Jung, Choi Daniel and Park Shin Hye was just a modern update on the 1897 play, “Cyrano de Bergarac,” about a man who helps someone else pursue his love. In the film, the agency helped its customers win hearts.
But then the film inspired the 2013 drama series called “Dating Agency: Cyrano,” which starred Lee Jong Hyuk, Choi Soo Young, Lee Chun Hee and Hong Jong Hyun. In that series the dating agency set up romantic scenarios for their clients and used the money they made to save an old theater.
“Tazza: The High Rollers” was a 2006 film about gamblers. In the film, the character Goni, played by Jo Seung Woo, lost his savings, and money stolen from his family, after being swindled by professional cheat gamblers. To regain the money, Goni begins training under one of the best gamblers in the country.
Based on the film, a 2008 drama series “Tazza” featured a revamped storyline, some comic elements and new characters. The 20-episode drama starred Jang Hyuk, Han Ye Seul and Kim Min Jun.
A few drama series were so popular that they were eventually also made into or edited down into films.
“Iris” and “Love Rain” are two examples of dramas that were later also released as feature-length films.
“Iris: The Movie” was the first Korean production to film a television drama and feature length film at the same time. Additional scenes were shot for the film.
The drama “Love Rain,” which was more popular in Japan than in Korea was edited down to film version for a Japanese release. The first part with scenes set in the 1970s, was released on Sept. 20, while the second part will be released on Oct. 11.