The trend of renowned Korean film directors moving to the small screen has surged since the global success of Netflix’s “Squid Game” (2021), directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. Filmmakers like Lee Joon-ik, Yoon Jong-bin, and Hur Jin-ho have embraced the extended storytelling format of series, and now more directors are following suit.

Director Park Hoon-jung, renowned for the two-part film “The Witch,” is making his small-screen debut with its spinoff, “The Tyrant.” This upcoming Disney+ original action thriller stars 추천 Cha Seung-won, Kim Seon-ho, Kim Kang-woo, and Jo Yoon-su. The series revolves around a high-stakes race to recover a stolen bioweapon during a secret handover between Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies, marking the neo-noir master’s transition to drama.

Park initially planned to produce “The Tyrant” as a movie, but decided to adapt it into a four-episode drama series instead. At a recent press conference for the drama, he admitted that the transition to the drama format has been challenging.

“It was a challenging but interesting experience as I was not accustomed to the pace of drama production. With the emergence of OTT (Over-the-Top) platforms, I believe it’s a matter of choosing the right medium,” Park said.