Netflix′s 2025 Korean slate: ′Squid Game 3,′ ′Physical′ with Manny Pacquiao, BTS′ Jin in travel show
By Woo Jae-yeon SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Sequels to some of Netflix?s most popular Korean original shows are set to return this year, the global streaming giant said Tuesday. As part of its
By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Sequels to some of Netflix's most popular Korean original shows are set to return this year, the global streaming giant said Tuesday.
As part of its "Next on Netflix 2025 Korea" lineup, the company revealed that the hit reality competition series "Physical: 100" will return for a third season, while the cooking show "Culinary Class War" will debut its second season.
The upcoming season of the original "Physical: 100" will be rebranded as "Physical: Asia," expanding beyond Korea to feature an intercountry competition where contestants from across the region will represent their nations and face off against rivals from different countries.
Netflix also confirmed legendary Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao will star in the third season, scheduled for release in the third quarter.
The first two seasons of "Physical: 100" brought together 100 physically fit contestants to compete in grueling "quests," quickly becoming chart-topping hits and achieving widespread success.
Netflix had previously hinted at the show's expansion in the finale of "Physical: 100 Season 2 - Underground," featuring an animated teaser showcasing various sports from Korean taekwondo to Japanese sumo wrestling, alongside a potential logo for a third installment.
Another key highlight from Tuesday's event was the announcement of "Culinary Class Wars" returning for a second season, set for release in the fourth quarter.
Released in September, it is Netflix's first Korean original cooking competition show, which pits elite chefs against lesser-known underdogs in intense culinary battles to determine the country's top cook. It debuted atop Netflix's non-English series chart and retained the spot for two more weeks, drawing millions of views worldwide.
Netflix said over 1,000 chefs applied to compete in the upcoming season, which will see the return of the original judges -- renowned restaurateur and TV personality Paik Jong-won and Ahn Sung-jae, the country's only Michelin three-star chef.
For BTS fans, the travel reality show "Kian's Bizarre B&B," featuring TV personality and artist Kim Hee-min, better known as Kian84, and Jin from the popular boy band BTS, should be a must watch in the second quarter. The production team behind the hit reality travel show "Hyori's Homestay" collaborated with the two on the project.
As for TV series, "Squid Game" Season 3 is set for release June 27, concluding the saga of doomed participants as they compete in deadly childhood game variations in a desperate bid to escape their despair.
Other titles in the lineup include the heartwarming drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines," starring IU and Park Bo-gum, directed by acclaimed producer Kim Won-suk, known for "My Mister," "Misaeng" and "Signal." The drama is set to premiere March 7.
Starring Suzy and Kim Woo-bin, the romantic comedy "Genie, Make a Wish" is also on the plate. Set for release in the fourth quarter, the series is penned by renowned screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, whose previous works -- "Descendants of the Sun," "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," "Mr. Sunshine" and "The Glory" -- were all mega hits.
On the movie front, Netflix will drop seven Korean original movies this year.
Among the seven films, director Yeon Sang-ho, known for "Train to Busan," is set to release his new thriller "Revelations," starring Ryu Jun-yeol and Shin Hyun-bin, sometime in the first quarter. Yeon is a familiar name to Netflix fans through his previous collaborations with the company on hit series "Hellbound" and "Parasyte: The Grey."
Yeon is teaming up with Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron of "Children of Men" and "Gravity," who joined the project as an executive producer. Cuaron was also nominated for an Oscar for best directing with "Roma" for Netflix.
Another film in the lineup is "Lost in Starlight," Netflix's first Korean animated film, written and directed by Han Ji-won. The film tells the love story of an astronaut and a musician, voiced by Kim Tae-ri and Hong Kyung, respectively.
The other films set for release include Kim Tae-joon's thriller "Wall to Wall," Byun Sung-hyun's "Good News" (working title), Namkoong Sun's romantic comedy "Love Untangled" and "Mantis," a spin-off of "Kill Boksoon," directed by Lee Tae-sung, who served as an assistant director on the original.
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