the Netflix original K-drama centers around the love story between an heir who is in the midst of an inheritance battle and a hotel manager. Creating a remake is often tricky, especially because fans of the TV show not only fell in love with the story but also the actors who starred in the original series.
In the case of King the Land, the U.S. version will have to make some changes to the original K-drama in order to pull in both new and old audiences. However, there has to be a balance because the American remake cannot deviate too far from the original romantic K-drama. One of the reasons King the Land was so popular is because of how well the actors embodied their roles. So the US version of the K-drama needs to cast actors who are not only beloved by audiences but are also capable of bringing something new to their character.
6 Charles Melton as King The Land’s Male Lead
Originally Played By Lee Jun-ho
Charles Melton has starred in several movies and TV shows, including May December and Riverdale, which prove that he has the ability to take on complex roles. One of the biggest draws of Lee Jun-ho’s Gu Won is that he is a handsome heir who can be tough and arrogant but also has a sweet side. If Charles Melton were to take on the role of the male lead in the U.S. version of King the Land, then he would not have to embody Gu Won’s characteristics but add a fresh take to him.
He has the charisma, looks, style, and charm to portray a character that audiences can fall in love with.
Given Melton’s role in The Sun Is Also a Star, the actor has shown that he would be the perfect choice as a male lead in any romantic movie or series. He has the charisma, looks, style, and charm to portray a character that audiences can fall in love with. Melton’s character in May December showcased the actor’s emotional range and how he can easily fit into any part he is cast in. This makes him the perfect person to bring Gu Won’s troubled past and trauma to life.
While the American remake of King the Land can’t change everything about the male lead from the original K-drama, the one thing that Melton can do differently is be a little less serious. Lee Jun-ho’s Gu Won could be intimidating at times, and although that worked for the K-drama, it might not be so for the US version of the Korean TV show. Granted, Gu Won had a difficult life when he was young and had a complicated relationship with his, but the US version of the lead male character should be funny to make the series more relatable.
5 Arden Cho as King The Land’s Female Lead
Originally Played By Im Yoon-ah
Arden Cho began her acting career in 2006 and has since starred in a variety of movies and TV shows, including Chicago Med, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and The Honor List. However, it’s her character in Partner Track that makes her the perfect choice to play the lead role in the U.S. version of King the Land. Like Im Yoon-ah’s Cheon Sa-rang, Ingrid Yun is strong, at the top of her professional game, and sunny disposition.
Partner Track also shows that Cho is incredible in a romantic drama. Although Sa-rang loved her job and was good at it, she wasn’t always capable of standing up for herself when her boss was being unfair. In comparison, the female lead in the American remake of King the Land shouldn’t be timid. Instead, she should have a higher position in the company so that she isn’t the one being told what to do but is the person giving orders.
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A 2023 romantic K-drama starring Lee Jun-ho and Im Yoon-ah is getting an American remake, and this might be more important than you think.
Sa-rang’s rise to the top is inspiring, and the U.S. version of King the Land should keep that part of her story. However, if she isn’t merely a lowly employee in the remake, it almost eliminates the power imbalance between her and the male lead if he is her boss. But what would actually make the U.S. version better while keeping the core parts of King the Land if the female lead in the remake owns her company or works somewhere else. This keeps the original K-drama’s enemies-to-lovers story but adds a twist.
4 Tati Gabrielle as The Female Lead’s Best Friend
Originally Played By Kim Ga-eun
King the Land’s Kang Da-eul is Sa-rang’s best friend who used to love partying. All that changed when she got married and became a mother. However, she still had the same spunk, toughness, and sense of humor as she did before taking on those roles. Tati Gabrielle, who is known for her roles in You and The 100, is the perfect actor to be the female lead’s best friend.
Her previous movies and TV shows prove that she has great screen presence.
In King the Land, Da-eul is a manager at King Fashion. The U.S. version of the K-drama can instead make the female lead’s best friend her partner in her company. She also doesn’t have to be married or have a child. It would make more sense if she were to be single and have a boisterous dating life, as those kinds of stories are something that audiences enjoy.
3 Lana Condor as The Female’s Lead Best Friend
Originally Played By Go Won-hee
Known for her role in the P.S. I Love You franchise, Lana Condor would shine as the other best friend to the female lead. Go Won-hee took on that role in King the Land, and her shy personality fit in with Sa-rang’s. Pyong-hwa was also struggling at work due to how tough her boss was on her and her inability to speak up.
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That doesn’t have to be the case in the U.S. version of King the Land. While Condor’s character in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before wasn’t exactly outgoing, she can change that in the American remake of King the Land. It would be great to see the actor be the fun and spontaneous best friend in the U.S. remake of the K-drama.
2 Ross Butler as The Male Lead’s Best Friend & Secretary
Originally Played By Ahn Se-ha
Ross Butler has starred in a variety of TV shows such as 13 Reasons Why, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You, and Riverdale. Gu won’s secretary and only friend, Noh Sang-sik in King the Land is a bit of a goofball who enjoys making fun of his boss. They have a great dynamic that is great to watch, and their scenes together were always funny.
Instead of being a goofball, he can be a serious character who loves his job.
The U.S. version of the male lead’s best friend can be a bit different. Instead of being a goofball, he can be a serious character who loves his job. Butler taking on the role of a serious character can be a chance for him to showcase another side of himself. Most of the characters in the movies and TV shows he has starred in so far are almost always the same.
1 Constance Wu as The Male Lead’s Half-Sister
Originally Played By Kim Seon-young
There are several subplots in King the Land, but perhaps the most interesting one is the inheritance battle between Gu Won and his elder-half sister, Hwa-ra. Hwa-ra is tough, cold, cunning, and determined to get the hotel she thinks is rightfully has. However, Constance Wu, who has shown she can be funny in Fresh Off the Boat, can make the American version of the lead male character’s half-sister fun and easygoing.
If the American remake of King the Land were to change anything about the dynamic between Gu Won and Hwa-ra, is that they don’t have to be enemies. Granted, the tension between the two characters in the Korean workplace drama was a great subplot, but they could also just get along. Sibling rivalry is entertaining, but so is a brother and sister bond.
King the Land
- Release Date
- 2023 - 2023-00-00
Cast
Lee Jun-hoGoo Won-
YoonaCheon Sa-rang
WHERE TO WATCH
King the Land: Amid a tense inheritance battle, a charming heir faces off against his hardworking employee, known for her irresistible smile, which he finds unbearable. This series navigates the complexities of personal dynamics and family loyalty in the high-stakes world of corporate succession.
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