Netflix’s ‘The 8 Show’: cast, plot, premiere date and all you need to know
Starring Ryu Jun-yeol, Chun Won-hee, Park Jeong-min and more
by Carmen Chin · NMENetflix has released brand-new details about its upcoming Korean original The 8 Show, starring including its plot, premiere date, cast and trailers. Read on for everything you need to know about the new series, starring Ryu Jun-yeol, Park Jeong-min and more.
What is the plot of The 8 Show?
Based on Bae Jin-soo’s hit webcomic series Money Game and Pi Game, eight people who are desperately in need of money are invited as contestants on a reality show called The 8 Show, sharing the Netflix series’ own namesake, which was presumably renamed for its adaptation.
The studio the show is filmed is eight stories high, and in the original webcomic, the eight contestants are tasked with lasting 100 full days on set in order to stand a chance at winning the show’s KRW44.8billion cash prize. However, all their necessities – food, water, electricity and more – need to be paid for and will cost a thousand times more than they normally would. The money is deducted from the overall cash prize at the end of the 100 days.
However, it is currently unclear if The 8 Show will remain largely faithful to the original game mechanics set out in the webcomic.
Who will star in the new Netflix series?
The eight contestants will be played by Reply 1988 and Lost‘s Ryu Jun-yeol, Unlocked’s Chun Won-hee, Hellbound‘s Park Jeong-min, Nevertheless‘ Lee Yul-eum, Arthdal Chronicles’ Park Hae-joon, Believer’s Lee Joo-young, Times’ Moon Jeong-hee and Bae Sung-woo, who will also be starring in Disney+’s upcoming K-drama, Light Shop.
Singer-actress IU was previously announced to have been cast on The 8 Show as early as January 2022, however later pulled out of production in May 2022 due to scheduling conflicts, per her representatives at EDAM Entertainment. She was later replaced by Chun Won-hee on the series.
Hae Jae-rim (of The Face Reader and Emergency Declaration fame) helmed both the script and direction of the upcoming series under Studio N, which previously worked on K-dramas such as Our Beloved Summer, Yumi’s Cells and Sweet Home.
Is there a trailer for The 8 Show?
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Netflix released the date announcement for The 8 Show on April 11, providing the very first look into the highly anticipated series. The teaser introduces the eight contestants of the show in a silent film format. The trailer also shows each contestant passing through gargantuan red curtains as they agree to participate on the show, before cryptic clips of the game’s events are shown.
How do I watch The 8 Show?
The new series will make its international premiere exclusively on Netflix on May 17, per the date announcement. The streamer also unveiled the official poster for the series – see it below: