Blackpink member Jisoo and award-winning actor Park Jeong-min‘s upcoming Korean zombie apocalypse series “Newtopia” is set to debut on Prime Video, the streaming service revealed on Wednesday.
The series will premiere globally on Prime Video Feb. 7 and on Korean streamer Coupang Play on the same date. It follows a couple’s journey to reunite amid a zombie outbreak in Seoul. Park plays Lee Jae-yoon, a man completing his mandatory military service, while Jisoo takes on the role of Kang Young-joo, his girlfriend navigating early career challenges.
“Having started his mandatory military conscription at a later age, Jae-yoon faces anxiety about his future. Due to challenges from being apart from his girlfriend Young-joo, they have a sudden break-up after an argument. However, a zombie outbreak spreads across the city, forcing Jae-yoon to step up as leader of his squad,” the official synopsis reads. “Meanwhile, Young-joo experiences her own difficulties as a rookie in the workforce. She is frustrated with Jae-yoon due to him misunderstanding her heart. While on her way to see him, she witnesses the zombie rampage and adapts in order to survive. The first look stills foreshadow a dynamic story encompassing happy times between the couple as well as the world thrown into chaos by zombie attacks. Thinking of each other first as boyfriend and girlfriend, the pair run across a zombie-laid city to be together again.”
“Parasite” co-writer Han Jin-won teams with “A Shop for Killers” scribe Jee Ho-jin on the screenplay. Director Yoon Sung-hyun, who previously collaborated with Park on “Bleak Night” and “Time to Hunt,” helms the project.
The series marks Jisoo’s second major acting role following her lead performance in Korean studio JTBC’s “Snowdrop.” The K-pop idol-turned-actress previously made appearances in “The Producer” and “Arthdal Chronicles.”
Park brings significant critical acclaim to the project, having won best new actor honors at both the Baeksang Arts Awards and Blue Dragon Film Awards for “Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet,” as well as supporting actor recognition for “Deliver Us From Evil.”
“Newtopia” will release weekly episodes from Feb. 7 through March 21 and will stream in more than 240 territories on Prime Video. The series promises to blend action, romance and comedy elements within its zombie apocalypse framework.