Netflix feels Korea’s Sunshine

Mr Sunshine will premiere on tvN before landing on Netflix

US-based SVoD firm Netflix has acquired the streaming rights to South Korean historical drama Mr Sunshine.

The 24-episode series, which comes from the creators of global hit Descendants of the Sun, tells the story of a Korean boy who stows away on a ship during the US military expedition to Korea in 1871 and later returns to his homeland as a US marine officer.

Written by Kim Eun-sook and directed by Lee Eung-bok, Mr Sunshine is the latest link-up between the duo and Netflix following military series Descendants of the Sun and supernatural drama Goblin. The show is produced by Korean outfits Hwa&Dam Pictures and Studio Dragon.

The series will begin streaming on Netflix in the US and Asia, excluding Korea, at the same time as its premiere on CJ E&M-owned Korean network tvN in July. It will land on Netflix Japan the day after and will be available globally from July 19.

Rob Roy, VP of content for Asia at Netflix, said the acquisition of Mr Sunshine was a “significant step forward in building a strong Korean content library for our members around the world.”

The deal is another indication of Netflix’s commitment to expanding its global series library, with both acquired and original content, and follows on from the announcement of its exclusive multi-year series deal with the showrunners of Dark, one of the service’s most watched non-English shows.