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The first set of still cuts from Coupang Play's upcoming zombie series Newtopia (previously Influenza) starring BLACKPINK's Jisoo and actor Park Jung-min, have been revealed.
The first look released on August 1, 2024, on the official social media handles of the streaming platform, showed the duo in an ominous atmosphere seemingly seized by fear and tension, as Park Jung-min stands in front of a blood-splattered wall.
Through the intense teaser snapshots, Coupang Play also confirmed the casting of the duo for the drama scheduled to be released in 2025. The caption for the images further disclosed that the two characters are caught in a zombie apocalypse following their separation.
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It read:
"The day we broke up, zombies took over the world. Finally revealed! The next-generation K-zombie cast! Soldier Park Jung-min X Soldier's girlfriend Jisoo <Newtopia> first still released. Scheduled to premiere on Coupang Play in 2025."
Meanwhile, dubbed "The next-generation K-zombie cast", Newtopia packs for audiences a star-studded ensemble. BLACKPINK's Jisoo previously surprised and enraptured viewers with her acting skills in the romance-action drama Snowdrop (2021-2022).
Her special appearance in the Fantasy-cum-Period drama Arthdal Chronicles (2019-2023) and Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman (2023) was also appreciated. Therefore, the confirmation of her joining the cast lineup for Newtopia is raising expectations.
Actor Park Jung-min delivered a wide range of roles through titles like the thriller Netflix series The 8 Show (2024), the 2020 action/crime film Deliver Us from Evil, and the comedy/action film Start-Up (2019).
Additionally, actor Kim Jun-han has also been roped in for the project. He partook in several works, including A Man of Reason (2022), and Revolver (2024), among others.
Meanwhile, Newtopia can be expected to display a mix of various genres including fantasy, romance, and thriller, amidst a world stricken by zombies. The story is adapted from the novel Influenza by Han Sang-woon.
Newtopia: Plot, Characters, and all other details we know so far
Newtopia tells the story of a soldier Lee Jae-yun (played by Park Jung-min) and his partner Kang Yeong-ju (played by BLACKPINK's Jisoo) who have recently gone through a breakup. As people get infected with an unknown virus, the couple fights a throng of zombies, running towards one another, amid the backdrop of an air-defense unit in a high-rise building in Seoul.
The character Lee Jae-yun enlists in the military at 26 while searching for an alternative service through defense industry employment. Amid anxiety about his future and a fixation on his girlfriend, he faces a break-up with Kang Yeong-ju. When the world is torn asunder by a horde of zombies, he transforms from a weak, unconfident man to the leader of a squad.
Kang Yeong-ju is a rookie new to society who struggles in her relationship with Lee Jae-yun, who fails to understand her feelings until she receives news of their breakup. On her way to meet her boyfriend, she encounters a zombie outbreak and slowly becomes stronger as she fights for survival.
In addition, actor Kim Jun-han will take up the role of Line Ho, a private who began his military service at an old age after settling down. As Lee Jae-yun's successor, he oversees the tasks of devising ways to solve the zombie outbreak and uses clever survival techniques to deal with the situation. He is dedicated to increasing the survival chances of his squad by mobilizing his skills and knowledge.
According to MyDramaList, Newtopia is assumed to have eight episodes. Per NamuWiki, the filming duration for the show ran from December 2023 to July 2024. Pictures of Jisoo and the cast and crew enjoying a possible filming wrap-up dinner are also being shared on the internet. In the meantime, fans also await her role in Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint coming out in 2025.
Director Yoon Sung-hyun, who received acclaim for his works in films like Time To Hunt (2020) and Bleak Night (2011), will venture into his first series direction with Newtopia. What's interesting is this will be the director's third collaboration with actor Park Jung-min, after Bleak Night and Time To Hunt, hence making the upcoming team-up more exciting.
Furthermore, writers Han Jin-won and Ji Ho-jin will be in charge of the script for Newtopia. The former attained global renown for winning the Best Original Screenplay Award for Parasite (2019) at the 92nd Academy Awards. Ji Ho-jin recently gained much praise for his work in the action K-drama A Shop for Killers (2024).
So far no international streaming details for Newtopia have been announced but local viewers can watch the series on Coupang Play upon release.
