Actors Lee Joon-gi and Kim Ah-joong are in discussions to star in a Korean television remake of popular American police crime drama procedural 'Criminal Minds.' As various news outlets have been suggesting, the offers to both Lee Joon-gi and Kim Ah-joong are for the lead roles in the remake. The show will be broadcast by KBS.
As noted by website Soompi, media reports on January 11 revealed that 'My Girl' and 'Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo' actor Lee Joon-gi and '200 Pounds beauty' and 'Wanted' actor Kim Ah-joong were considering an offer to star on the remake of 'Criminal Minds.' The respective agencies of the actors had confirmed the news as being true.
"It's true that Lee Joon Gi received an offer for 'Criminal Minds.' He's currently examining the project," Lee Joon-gi's agency, Namoo Actors, said. While King Kong Entertainment, the agency that manages Kim Ah-joong also said that she was considering the offer properly before making any comment. "It's true that Kim Ah Joong was offered a role in 'Criminal Minds,' but nothing has been confirmed yet. She's currently looking into it," revealed King Kong Entertainment, as quoted by Allkpop.
Last year, the remake of the American television drama 'The Good Wife' did moderately well but the 'Entourage' remake starring Lee Kwang-soo of 'Running Man' received poor ratings and was a commercial failure. This does not mean that the Korean 'Criminal Minds' is destined to be a failure. The producers of the remake can surely learn a thing or two from the mistakes made by the makers of the last two remakes.
The original 'Criminal Minds' premiered on September of 2005, on CBS network, created by Jeff Davis, still runs to this day. It is on season 12, undoubtedly a success story. In the TV series, which saw stars like Mandy Patinkin, Joe Mantegna and Jennifer Love Hewitt appear in episodes, a group of FBI profilers working at the FBI's Behavioural Analysis Unit (BAU) in Quantico, Virginia, try and catch criminals through behaviour profiling.
The series was so successful that two spin-offs were launched, namely 'Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior' (2011) and 'Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders' (2016 onwards). The Korean version, being produced by New, a production company, Taewon Entertainment, ABC Studios and Disney Media Distribution, is supposed to begin filming during the spring of this year.
It will no doubt be a high profile release, seeing the name of the studios involved in the project. However, it remains to be seen howa remake of a American drama measures up to original content like 'Goblin' and 'The Legend of the Blue Sea.'
