'Dr. Brain': Apple TV+ Orders New Sci-Fi Series From 'I Saw The Devil' Director Kim Jee-Woon
Apple TV+ has just ordered its first Korean-language project. Kim Jee-woon, who directed A Tale of Two Sisters and I Saw the Devil, will write and direct a new series called Dr. Brain for the streaming service, and Parasite actor Lee Sun-kyun will star. The series is based on a Korean webtoon of the same name, and follows a scientist who uses new tech to access people's consciousness and memories.
Get ready for Dr. Brain, baby! Apple TV+ has given a series order to the show based on the Korean webtoon of the same name (side-note: there were a series of educational DOS games in the 1990s called Dr. Brain, but this is unrelated). Kim Jee-woon, who directed A Tale of Two Sisters, The Good, the Bad, the Weird, I Saw the Devil, and the surprisingly-good-but-underseen Arnold Schwarzenegger comeback vehicle The Last Stand, will write and direct the sci-fi thriller, while Parasite actor Lee Sun-kyun will star.
The show is currently in production in South Korea, and is described as "an emotional journey that follows a brain scientist who is obsessive about figuring out new technologies to access the consciousness and memories of the brain. His life goes sideways when his family falls victim to a mysterious accident, and he uses his skills to access memories from his wife's brain to piece together the mystery of what actually happened to his family and why."
This sounds intriguing, although I have to admit the title Dr. Brain comes across as slightly comical, and that doesn't seem to be the tone the show is going for. But that's neither here nor there. This is the first Korean-language project from Apple TV+, and it joins a growing list of international shows, including Pachinko, the Korean, Japanese, and English-Language drama series written and executive produced by Soo Hugh; Masters of the Air, a new limited drama series from Apple Studios and executive produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television, and Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman's Playtone; Slow Horses, an international espionage thriller starring Gary Oldman; Shantaram, based on Gregory David Robert's novel and starring Charlie Hunnam; Echo 3, an action-thriller set entirely between South America and the US, and written by Mark Boal; Acapulco, a new Spanish and English language half-hour comedy series starring and executive produced by Eugenio Derbez; The Essex Serpent starring Claire Danes; and, Suspicion, a thriller starring Uma Thurman and based on the Israeli series False Flag.