SEOUL-- Another Netflix Korean-language original series, "The Silent Sea," is gearing up to catch the eyes of global audiences following the sensational "Squid Game" and "Hellbound."
Set in a future Earth suffering an extreme water shortage, the upcoming mystery sci-fi thriller is about a special team tasked with finding out the secrets of an abandoned research facility, Balhae Base, on the moon.
The eight-episode show, deemed to be the first space opera TV show in South Korea, is based on the eponymous 2014 short film directed by Choi Hang-yong, who also took the helm of the latest Netflix series.
Choi's college graduate project, which garnered attention at the Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival, one of the leading indie and art house movie fests in South Korea, focuses on the mysterious mission on the moon.
"I thought I could tell more stories through a long TV series," director Choi said during an online conference Wednesday. "It is not only about the squad's struggle to survive in space but also about human existence on this planet."
To adapt the 37-minute short film into an eight-episode TV series, he teamed up with screenwriter Park Eun-kyo, who co-wrote Bong Joon-ho's 2009 thriller "Mother."
Park added more stories about the dystopian future of Earth and the mysterious fatal incident at Balhae Base, with detailed teamwork and the journey of the squad assigned to retrieve some unknown samples from the moon.
"The setting and universe of Choi's short film sparked my curiosity. I had so many things and stories in my brain to share," she said. "But it was hard to find some useful references of space shows and films made in Korea. It's a very strange genre here."
Jung Woo-sung, who participated in the project as an executive producer, said he is thrilled to be a trailblazer in the field of sci-fi series and space operas.
"There are many sci-fi films across the world, but people think it's hard to make one in South Korea," Jung said. "I thought 'The Silent Sea' has a very smart setting and plot, with big potential to be expanded to a new Korean-style sci-fi series."
Lead actress Bae Doo-na, who takes the role of Song Ji-an, an astrobiologist who joins the team and is determined to uncover the truth behind the accident at Balhae Base, said she had been afraid of participating in a space genre that not many Korean creators have tried so far.
"Before reading the screenplay of this series, I watched the director's short film. It was amazing, considering its limited budget and other conditions," she said. "I wanted to work with him to make a quality space show."
Gong Yoo plays Han Yun-jae, the exploration team leader who must carry out a crucial mission with limited information.
"When I read the screenplay, I felt 10 exclamation marks there," said the actor, who made an impressive cameo appearance as a recruit man in "Squid Game." "It didn't take long for me to join this project with brilliant imagination and creative ideas."
"The Silent Sea" will be made available Friday on Netflix.
Source: Yonhap News Agency