An All-Time Great TV Show Is Officially Getting a Big-Budget Disney+ Remake (With 1 Major Change)

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In recent years, Hollywood has taken notice of the growing international popularity of Korean TV shows, particularly K-Dramas. The huge success of Netflix’s Squid Game really highlighted this trend, becoming the platform’s most-watched show ever. This success has led other streaming services, like Disney, to start creating their own Korean dramas. Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery even partnered with Korean company CJ ENM to join the market. The industry is currently experiencing significant growth.

Disney recently announced a new series that will likely appeal to fans of classic television. Production has begun on The Koreans, a fresh take on the FX show The Americans, which ended in 2018 after six seasons. This time, instead of Russian spies in 1980s America, the story follows North Korean spies operating in South Korea during the 1990s. Starring in the lead roles are Lee Byunghun (known for No Other Choice and Squid Game) and Han Jimin (Heavenly Ever After), who will play the undercover spies.

The Americans Remake, The Koreans, Confirmed for Disney+ and Hulu

Eric Schrier, who leads international content for Disney, shared that he created the original series The Americans. He admitted he was hesitant about a remake, but the enthusiasm of the Korean production team convinced him. Schrier explained that the story’s themes resonated with the current situation in Korea, making it particularly meaningful for local viewers – which is always Disney’s main focus for original content in each country.

According to Schrier, the people who created the original The Americans chose not to participate in this new series, but expressed interest in seeing it being filmed. Ahn Gilho, known for directing Netflix’s The Glory, will direct, and the scripts are being written by Park Eunkyo, who has worked on Made In Korea and Mother.

Set in early 1990s South Korea, a time of rapid change and new freedoms, ‘The Koreans’ tells the story of an ordinary middle-class family with a dangerous secret. The parents appear to be typical citizens to everyone around them – even their own children – but they are actually highly trained North Korean spies tasked with destabilizing the South. The series explores the deep divide between the two Koreas, focusing on the spies’ internal struggles with patriotism, loyalty, who they are, and their feelings for others, all while a determined South Korean counterintelligence agent closes in on the truth.

Disney’s Carol Choi explained that while many spy thrillers exist, they were particularly drawn to the relationship dynamics and emotional complexity of this story. The series focuses on a married couple who are both spies, navigating both their personal lives and the political tensions between North and South Korea – a theme they believe will resonate strongly with Korean viewers. Choi also highlighted the significant value of having Lee Byung-hun star in the series.

Disney announced that the new series, The Koreans, will be available on Disney+ everywhere outside of the United States, and on Hulu within the US. While it’s unknown how many seasons the show will have—the original series, The Americans, ran for six seasons—its success could lead to similar international adaptations in the future, as there are many historical periods and spy stories to explore.

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2026-03-25 21:40