Ji Soo bullying allegations have cost the production of Korean drama River Where The Moon Rises dearly. Following bullying and sexual harassment allegations, not only lead male cast Ji Soo was replaced by Na In Woo, but at least 14 episodes had to be reshot.
Koreaboo, Sports Today and NoCut News have written about the cost per episode and insecurities of the cast of River Where The Moon Rises. Victory Contents is handling the production of the drama. KBS decided to continue to stream the drama that had aired six episodes at the time Ji Soo's indulgence in bullying was revealed.
Behind the Reshoot
Koreaboo reported that according to an insider from the drama, 18 episodes were shot with Ji Soo playing the lead role. The shooting was 90 percent complete and the team had to reshoot at least 14 episodes. Most of the cast volunteered to take part in reshoot without charging extra. But the production company is yet to sort out the total cost of reshoot.
According to Sports Today, shooting of each episode cost $885,000. The total budget allotted to the drama was $17.7 million. The report claimed that financial damage suffered by the reshoot is simply beyond calculation. The exact cost has not been calculated yet. The production house is currently paying the cast and staff per episode. But it is going to take some time before figuring out the total expenditure, said an insider.
Actors' Insecurity
NoCut News reported that actors playing minor roles in the drama are worried about their payment. There has been some confusion in payment as the company had to arrange for shooting in a short notice as the drama is ongoing. The news outlet stated that Victory Contents has assured that the money matters will be figured out shortly.
"Because the reshoot had to be done on such short notice, it had been impossible to keep track of who is appearing in how many episodes, etc. But getting this organized is in the works and we will figure out the money matters shortly," production house is said to have told.
Reports also gave the credit of the drama being aired without any problem to director Yoon Sang Ho. It is said that Sang Ho makes everyone in the set feel comfortable. "The way he carried himself so calmly and professionally through this whole situation, it really helped us navigate out of trouble faster and smarter. I still remember Director Yoon telling himself and the rest of us, 'It's not a problem. It is only a reshoot," said an insider to Koreaboo.
Even after the change in the lead character, the River Where The Moon Rises is garnering the support of people. The drama continues to increase ratings and the latest [11th] episode secured a rating of 8.7 percent [according to AGB Nielsen]. People are talking positively about the chemistry between Kim So Hyun and Na In Woo. It is also said that Na In Woo adapted to his character quite quickly and that his lively nature in the sets that has made reshoot a success.
