K-Content News
Musicals to be adapted to TV series, films
- September 02, 2021 | Music
Musicals to be adapted to TV series, films
Updated : 2021-09-01 18:07
By Park Ji-won
Web and more web comics, films and dramas are being adapted into other content formats. For example, Netflix's "Sweet Home," one of the most popular series in the streaming service last year, is a drama adaptation of a web comic of the same title. Although they have not been launched officially, some companies started projects to adapt TV series into web comics including "My Mister."
Unlike these genres, musicals have never been adapted into other genres, partly because there were not enough original musicals that can be made into other content formats. But a growing number of production companies are setting their sights on turning musicals into dramas or other content formats amid a rising number of original musicals in Korea receiving rave reviews.
PAGE1, the production company behind the musical, "The Devil," and the play, "Amadeus," announced that it will make its musical, "Cha_me," into a 16-episode drama jointly with Studio Red and Aurora Media within this year and aims to air it by next year. It will be the first case of adapting a musical into a drama, the production company said.
The musical, which premiered in 2020, revolves around the lead role of Cha Mi-ho, a job-seeker who uploads photos of her ideal self on social media. But the perfect alter-ego of herself, named Cha_me, comes to life in the real world and lives with the lead character. The show aims to reflect on the high pressure and competition in modern society and advise people to love and respect themselves for who they are. Tryouts for the musical, first written in 2016, were unveiled in 2017 and 2019.
"It is a new move to adapt an original musical into a drama and introduce the elements of virtual reality and metaverse world view," Kim Jung-hwan, head of Aurora Media said in a press release.
The musical "Turandot," made in 2010 based on Giacomo Puccini's three-act opera, "Turandot," was made into a musical film, "Turandot_Kingdom of Darkness, the Movie," which was unveiled in June during the 15th Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF).
"Due to the spread of COVID-19, we decided to make a musical film based on 'Turandot' as the DIMF was urged to expand online-based content. We hope that the film can entertain audiences who cannot visit offline theaters," Bae Sung-hyuk, chair of the DIMF committee said. The DIMF is in discussions with OTT platforms to distribute the musical film on streaming services.
Industry data shows this trend will only spread further.
According to a report by the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System, sales of licensed musicals and original musicals accounted for 67 percent and 26 percent of sales in the musical industry, respectively, in 2016. But the share displayed a drastic change in 2020 when sales of licensed musicals accounted for 48 percent of musical industry revenues, while sales of Korea-made musicals accounted for 36 percent.
The report said, "The number of blockbuster Korean musicals has increased since 2017 and the running time of those musicals has also been extended. There are many original shows that can compete with quality licensed musicals and the large production companies which have been making licensed musicals and plays are planning to come up with more original musicals in the future."
Web and more web comics, films and dramas are being adapted into other content formats. For example, Netflix's "Sweet Home," one of the most popular series in the streaming service last year, is a drama adaptation of a web comic of the same title. Although they have not been launched officially, some companies started projects to adapt TV series into web comics including "My Mister."
Unlike these genres, musicals have never been adapted into other genres, partly because there were not enough original musicals that can be made into other content formats. But a growing number of production companies are setting their sights on turning musicals into dramas or other content formats amid a rising number of original musicals in Korea receiving rave reviews.
PAGE1, the production company behind the musical, "The Devil," and the play, "Amadeus," announced that it will make its musical, "Cha_me," into a 16-episode drama jointly with Studio Red and Aurora Media within this year and aims to air it by next year. It will be the first case of adapting a musical into a drama, the production company said.
The musical, which premiered in 2020, revolves around the lead role of Cha Mi-ho, a job-seeker who uploads photos of her ideal self on social media. But the perfect alter-ego of herself, named Cha_me, comes to life in the real world and lives with the lead character. The show aims to reflect on the high pressure and competition in modern society and advise people to love and respect themselves for who they are. Tryouts for the musical, first written in 2016, were unveiled in 2017 and 2019.
"It is a new move to adapt an original musical into a drama and introduce the elements of virtual reality and metaverse world view," Kim Jung-hwan, head of Aurora Media said in a press release.
The musical "Turandot," made in 2010 based on Giacomo Puccini's three-act opera, "Turandot," was made into a musical film, "Turandot_Kingdom of Darkness, the Movie," which was unveiled in June during the 15th Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF).
"Due to the spread of COVID-19, we decided to make a musical film based on 'Turandot' as the DIMF was urged to expand online-based content. We hope that the film can entertain audiences who cannot visit offline theaters," Bae Sung-hyuk, chair of the DIMF committee said. The DIMF is in discussions with OTT platforms to distribute the musical film on streaming services.
Industry data shows this trend will only spread further.
According to a report by the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System, sales of licensed musicals and original musicals accounted for 67 percent and 26 percent of sales in the musical industry, respectively, in 2016. But the share displayed a drastic change in 2020 when sales of licensed musicals accounted for 48 percent of musical industry revenues, while sales of Korea-made musicals accounted for 36 percent.
The report said, "The number of blockbuster Korean musicals has increased since 2017 and the running time of those musicals has also been extended. There are many original shows that can compete with quality licensed musicals and the large production companies which have been making licensed musicals and plays are planning to come up with more original musicals in the future."
Reporter : jwpark@koreatimes.co.kr
