The rise of "Korean-style heroes"

The upcoming Disney+ sci-fi action series Moving features "Korean-style heroes" who are seemingly ordinary people but fight for their loved ones with hidden superpowers, its screenwriter said Thursday.

Based on the eponymous hit webtoon by Kang Full, the 20-episode series tells the story of a group of superpowered individuals who hide their true abilities from the world in order to protect their families from danger. It features a star-studded cast, including Zo In-sung, Han Hyo-joo, Ryu Seung-ryong, Ryoo Seung-bum and Cha Tae-hyun, among others.

A promotional poster of Disney+ sci-fi action series "Moving" is seen in this photo provided by Disney+. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Kang, the creator of original webtoon Moving, said the drama series used a multi-layered story structure that spans over 30 years and added new characters to expand its cinematic universe. "Although the series is based on my original webtoon, I wanted to tell a different story and ended up writing a 20-episode series," Kang said during Creators Talk, a promotional press event. "Watching two episodes would be like watching a two-hour movie."

Kang said he put the characters' narratives into the historical context of South Korea, which still remains divided following the 1950-53 Korean war. "What is a Korean-style hero? I wanted to focus on circumstances and causes that would compel a hero to fight," Kang said. "In this drama, each character fights for their loved ones, whether that's family, a friend, a lover or a colleague, not for the moral cause of saving the world."

The director, Park In-jae, behind the second season of the Netflix zombie thriller Kingdom (2020), and films The Mayor (2017) and Moby Dick (2011), said Moving encompasses a wide variety of genres, including family drama, action, sci-fi and romance. "We inserted action sequences into each episode to captivate viewers," Park said. "It also has a family story, a high teen story and a love story through 20 episodes."

Lee Sung-gyu, the chief visual effects (VFX) supervisor, said dynamic images of people flying and action sequences are the outcome of two years of global collaboration. "About 60 studios from nine countries participated in the VFX production. We particularly focused on creating realistic visuals so as not to distract people's attention from the story," Lee said.

The first seven episodes will be released on Aug. 9, with two episodes arriving each week for five weeks.