After successfully pulling in stars Kim Nam-gil and Seo Yea-ji, upcoming OCN supernatural drama Island is currently working to complete its lead trio with singer-actor Cha Eun-woo.
Cha’s agency Fantagio revealed, “Cha Eun-woo is positively considering his appearance in Island,” clarifying earlier news about the star’s confirmed participation in the series.
Island is described as a fantasy exorcism drama set in Jeju Island, which centers on three protagonists: a wealthy heiress who gets chased by monsters that seek to banish humans, an emotionless monster hunter, and an exorcist priest. The story is based on a popular webtoon by manhwa (Korean term for comics) author Youn In-wan and illustrator Yang Kyung-il.
Cha Eun-woo is being offered the role of Kang Chan-hyuk, a former priest whose English name is John Skelp. Even though he grew up and studied in the United States, Chan-hyuk has been learning Korean by watching dramas because he wants to remember the language of his home country. He is youthful and has supernatural abilities, but he lives with guilt in his heart for failing to save someone’s life in the past. Run On actor Im Si-wan was initially courted for the role, however, his official position on the casting has not been confirmed yet.
Cha is known for being a member of the boy band Astro, as well as for his impressive performances in the hit television dramas ID: Gangnam Beauty (2018), Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019), and True Beauty (2020–2021). If he accepts the current proposal, he will be acting alongside Kim Nam-gil (The Fiery Priest) and Seo Yea-ji (It’s Okay To Not Be Okay). Kim has signed up to play the immortal and fearless monster slayer named Ban, while Seo will breathe life into the arrogant chaebol heiress Won Mi-ho. Due to a mistake, Mi-ho is exiled to Jeju Island by her father and is made to teach ethics at a rural high school. When she becomes the target prey of evil monsters, she teams up with Ban and Chan-hyuk to fight for her life, but they eventually end up protecting one another.
Created to be a multi-season drama, the first season of Island will reportedly begin filming this spring and targets to air in the second half of 2021.
