Yikes, they’re really going to do this. Without Lee Byung Hun, it’s just NOT IRIS anymore. So they pick another name for this so-called thriller/action/terrorist drama, “Athena”.

Jung Woo Sung & Cha Seung Won are picked to star in IRIS sequel

Actor Jung Woo Sung and Cha Seung Won have been confirmed to play as the main characters in the sequel to last year’s blockbuster TV drama, “IRIS”, according to the drama producers Taewon Entertainment.

According to Taewon Ent. like the original series, the new show will return to small screen with a different title, 아테나 Athena, taken after the Greek god. “Athena” 아테나 will be about terrorist acts and threats against the Korean Peninsula and the whole world.

Jung Woo Sung will play the role of special agent Lee Jung Woo, who will fight to keep the peace in the Korean peninsula. Cha Seung Won will play the role of a terrorist group leader Son Hyuk, who will accomplish any given task for his organization.

Production for “Athena” is scheduled to begin filming this coming June in Italy and Switzerland and continue onto six other different countries including Singapore and New Zealand. Taewon is aiming at showing the series during the latter half of this year.

With this series, Jung Woo Sung will be making a comeback to small screen for the first time after 15 years after “Asphalt Man” (1994) and “1.5″ (1996). The actor has starred in numerous hit movies such as “Beat” and “The Good, the Bad, the Weird.”

Cha Seung Won who debuted as a model in 1988, has appeared in a handful of dramas and movies on his resume including “Kick the Moon,” “Jailbreaker,” and “Secret.” His last drama was “City Hall” with Kim Sun Ah.

Jung Woo Sung

Cha Seung Won

Who wants to see pictures of young Jung Woo Sung? The unseen ones, no less. Don’t forget to set your TV on cable~

Photos of young Jung Woo-sung to be unveiled on cable

Never-before-seen pictures of Korean actor Jung Woo-sung from his teen days will be shown on MBC’s cable channel tonight.

MBC every1 said in a press release on Friday that its documentary program “Star: The Secret” will feature photographs of the hunky movie star from his childhood days.

The photos to be disclosed include an elementary school graduation picture of Jung as well as pictures from a middle school picnic. Producers also hinted at revealing an anecdote behind the star and his friend’s graduation picture looking exactly the same.

Jung is now one of South Korea’s most successful actors with more than a dozen films under his belt, including the1997 hit “Beat” and the critically acclaimed “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” which premiered at Cannes last year.

The actor is currently in Shanghai, filming a John Woo-directed movie with Chinese actress Michelle Yeoh. The film, tentatively titled “Rain of Swords in the Martial Arts World”, is scheduled for release in late 2010.

The episode of “Star” featuring Jung will be aired at midnight on Friday, November 6.

Reporter : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr