MyDramaList talks to Netflix Kdrama Actor Andrew Bishop, who worked alongside late Lee Sun Kyun
Boys Over Flowers American Remake
In July of this year, an American company (Wazego Collective) attempted to kickstart an American remake of the hit Manga (which Boys Over Flowers/Hana Yori Dango/Let's Go Watch the Meteor Shower are based off of ) The Kickstarter campaign however, only raised $1,252 USD out of a goal of 100,000. Pretty slim pickings...
At the time, i assumed that this meant an end to the project. Three months later, I found out that not only was i wrong, but that they have had several new developments.
Firstly, the producers of the project is no longer Wazego Collective. Taking over the role is WillKinn Media.
Secondly, this isn't a project done by a few teenage fans of the Kdrama. When we reached out to them, they wanted to clarify that point. They asked us to post this statement as well:
"We have a total of six executive producers including a co-production company for the series and only 2 of us are fans of the series. The company has done other projects before taking on Boys Before Flowers. The people that run it are all 10-20 year industry professionals that have worked with companies such as Samsung Electronics, Dick Clark Productions, Walt Disney Corporation, etc. The company was not formed just to make this series. The team has already been working on three other projects before this one. "
In addition to that, they have also recently completed casting. Unfortunately, the cast won't include any big names like Brad Pitt, or Angelina Jolie (Darnz! I really wanted to see them acting as high schoolers... Just kidding). But instead, they have hired a professional casting company, who will be choosing some amazing actors. Probably, not anyone most of us have heard of, but some people with (hopefully) some serious talent.
Now here is where it gets awesome: Cast picks are now posted on MDL!
EDIT: The Questions and Answer session has now finished. The questions are compiled in this article in an easy to read format. Duplicate questions were not posted. For the unfiltered version of the Q&A just scroll down to comments. at the bottom :
Q&A With the team behind the Boys Before Flowers American Adaptation!
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Asked by: CherryBunny:
#1.Will this remake stay true to the series or are they planning to add their own new ideas to the story? Just to clarify, doing such a thing isn't necessarily a bad thing. It was done with all the versions of Hana Yori Dango. However, my concern is that with the majority of the people behind this project not being actual fans of the series, it will end up just another CW-like fiasco and not resemble the original story at all.
#2. With the above in mind, will the story end up relying on sex as the appeal for the American viewers? One thing I loved about Boys Before Flowers is there was never any raunchy sleeping around like other American teen shows. I'm American and I have turned on my tv and watched. It would be a real shame if this project ended up like that.
Answer:
The series will stay true to the original Japanese Manga with a few of our own ideas.
We understand that your concern is that only a small portion of our production team are fans of the series but we wanted to let you know that it was the most important two; the head writer and the director. With them in charge of most of the decisions, know that things will be done right and in a way that will leave fans happy.
We are trying to do something different and unique to USA television and bring back a little bit of quality. Although we will try not to use too much sex appeal, we do have to say that our 4 guys are super hot but can act as well. We do not have any sex scenes in out scripts although there are make out sessions that can imply that it happened. So expect a clean show with quite a few abs on display.
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Asked by SumisuArisho
Will this stay true to the original Japanese manga? I know there will be a lot of differences, but I think it would be better if it stuck closer to the Manga, and/or Japanese show.
Answer:
Yes we will follow more closely to the Japanese manga although we did have to change a few things. For example, not only are our main characters rich but most of them are active in sports as well. Our series also takes place on a Grad school campus vs a high school campus and our main girl is an amazing dancer. We had to take other liberties as well and we bought some of the background characters more into the story.
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Asked by Jeaniessi
Will the story be told and unfold with a more American TV format in mind? Specifically, in hopes of continuing for more than one season rather than telling a complete story in 20-24 episodes?
Answer:
No. Sorry. We will only be having 16 episodes but we promise that our ending will leave viewers happy.
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Asked by hadassa
Where will this be aired and will the series be available to viewers outside of the USA?
I'm aware that it could be difficult to accomplish, but there is a huge international fanbase that would be very disappointing otherwise.
Answer:
We are working as hard as we can to make sure that we get syndication in other countries as well as the USA. But with that being said the series will air through a number of online media outlets including Youtube, BBFseries.com, Roku, Vimeo, DramaFever, Amazon, and we are currently working to secure Netflix and Hulu as well.
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Asked by NinaJade82
This is not a question, but just a curious thought: So America is doing a remake of BOF and Korea is doing a series (if not a remake, damn inspired) on Gossip Girl? Interesting turn of events.
Answer:
Actually it is not a remake of the Korean version but an adaptation of the original Japanese Manga series.
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Asked by Skye-N-Rain
Will you guys be doing another kickstarter? I feel like if you do, it'll be much more successful if you guys add a 5 minute teaser.
Answer:
We intend to do this. We will be setting up a new Kickstarter after we start filming at the end of October.
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Asked by cityhunter83
1: one of the reasons the korean version is my favorite is that it had the best production value. in meteor garden and hana yori dango the sets/locations props and costumes really didn't ooze wealth the way BoYs Over Flowers did. if you meet your funding goal will you be able to create that kind of feel?
2: if this is successful, might we hope to see other dramas get an american redo?
Answer:
Americans know wealth. This is being shot in Hollywood the land of the extreme and wealthy. Please expect to see plenty of style, fashion, mansions, penthouses, and props. We went on Kickstarter to raise a small amount of funding that was still needed to complete our budget. I think the misconception was that $100,000 was our entire budget when in reality, we have a multi-million dollar budget for this series. Our actors are unknowns but have enough experience that they are considered professionals.
2. You can absolutely expect to see other dramas get American make overs. We are already in the process of adapting two, one of which will begin to air right after the completion of this one.
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Asked by christypop
I know below you said that it's only going to be 16 episodes. However, if the overall reception of the show is positive, would you consider more that one season given that casting, funding, etc isn't an issue?
Answer:
No. One of the problems with TV now is that we feel that shows go on and on and on instead of leaving viewers with a super happy feeling and going on to something else. That is one of the reason Asian Dramas work out so well, they never overstay their time. We don't want to ruin a series that has so many fans by doing that. We can promise that our series will give you a definite ending that will leave you happy.
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Asked by purplenette
Will the actors be Asian?
Answer:
Actually, we have a very multi-racial cast. We have a little bit of everything.
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Asked by cityhunter83
When will this air?
Answer:
This will begin airing in Late November 2013.
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Asked by purplenette
I live in the United States. I don't watch much US made tv. There is a charm to Asian dramas. I don't read manga. So, I don't care if you stay true to the original. What motivation can you give me to watch this version?
Answer:
We are not following traditional American TV. We don't watch much of it either. If you want to complain about American TV, the you will watch our series to prove to the producers of American TV that not everyone wants a teenagers with babies, rich families complaining about their problems, rednecks in the woods and shows with no plot but with tons of sex scenes. There is a reason a show like this hasn't been made already. When we started this project over a year ago, we were told there was no interest here in the United States for it. That the young adult age bracket wanted a show like Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars,etc. Hence why we went independent. That would ruin the series and the millions of fans the series already has would protest. We have spent time gathering funds, a great team, and an amazing cast. I hope you support us so we can do more shows like this in the future.
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Asked by pigy152
In all the versions, each has their own spin on things, will you be doing the your own spin? I'm just a little curious n.n i am really looking forward to seeing this remake.
Answer:
We are doing our own spin on things. Some examples are, we have turned the lead girl, Zoey, into a dancer and the school is one that is for the rich, famous and elite but one day out of the year they hold auditions and testing for "commoners" to get accepted. Zoey gets in. There is lots of music, sports, dancing and traditional American activities. We have also written stronger story lines for some of the characters that didn't get seen as much like Akira Mimasaka. There are other changes as well as some things don't fit well into American culture but we think we did a pretty good job.
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Asked by B_wins
Answer:
Although those things don't translate to American culture very well, we still have bill collectors and our economy is in a hard situation right now so many Americans will be able to relate to that to some extent. We did not make this as big of a thing in our story line as it is in the other versions.
Again making Kimchi together is not a typical American culture thing to do but we do have our own traditions of doing things together as a family, etc especially during the holiday season. We have made sure to keep that family closeness in our adaptation as well.
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Asked by Lindysaducos
i'm not really much familiar when it comes to watching american series, but what's going to be the length of each episode ? :)
Answer:
55 minutes.
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Asked by singing_jayne
Oh My God!!!!! I'm so excited. And, I'm really glad that they won't be big names that I might associate with other characters. HanaDan was my third drama ever. Will the version be following one country's adaptation more than any other or will it have it's own spin on the plot? I know there might be some changes because of cultural differences but the different versions take some drastic changes partway through though they all end similarly. Any hints?
Answer:
Umm. If anything, we follow the Japanese Manga series more than anything else. We have our own spin on the story line to make it fit in more with American culture but overall we stay pretty close.
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Asked by casey30002002
Wow, I m so excited about this, didn't even know about it till i saw this article, this is something I would have loved to work on too, any openings, i would work for free,lol but seriously, I am excited about it....when is it likely to air and where and any chance I could visit the set someday?
Answer:
Thank you so much for your excitement. We have finished the main cast but are still looking to cast about 20 roles plus extras for the series. We will be listing them all on our website bbfseries.com within the next two weeks. If you are in the Los Angeles area and want to visit the set, send us private message and we will see what we can do. Thanks for the support. This will air in Late November 2013 on most online media outlets.
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Asked by JackintheSpoon
If this is a success, will you consider remaking any other popular dramas (or making shows based on manga)?
Answer:
You can absolutely expect to see other dramas get American make overs. We are already in the process of adapting two, one of which will begin to air right after the completion of this one.
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Asked by cityhunter83
How do you plan on getting people who have never heard of BOF interested in this. also, will the title change at all? to those outside of drama land the title probably wont make much sense.
Answer:
With previews. lol. Even if you have no idea what this is, our first episode will leave you hooked. The preview of the first episode will leave you hooked. We are confident that a few well placed ads and a lot of social media networking combined with our fan tours, mall tours, and campus tours will make sure to have American fans who have never heard of the series watching it. We are keeping the title hopefully but it is still subject to change. We do explain the title in the show.
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Asked by num1brat
Where will it be filmed ?
Answer:
The majority will be filmed in Los Angeles, CA and a few other locations.
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Asked by Elmi
Will you being using the Korean OST? Or are you planning on making a new one?
Answer:
No. There will be an American Soundtrack for the series. Music suggestions can be sent to us on sonicbids.com or on our website bbfseries.com
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Asked by XColonelsKingdomX
1.) How is this going to be rated(audience-wise)?? Will this be a series for kids or teens, young adults or??
2.) when is the earliest you are hoping to air this series?
Answer:
Series is most likely going to be PG-13 and aimed more towards Young adults than kids or teens although they will watch it.
We are aiming to have the first episode out on November 21st.
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Asked by num1brat
Are you planning on doing any filming in New York?
Answer:
At this time that is still up in the air. We have a "maybe" plan to film in NY. Sorry we don't have better information than that since that would most likely happen more at the end of the series instead of at the beginning.
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Asked by Chappelle
I have a major concern for this drama, because BOF was what brought me into Dramaland.
I feel that the innocence in BOF is what made it so endearing(aside from the beautiful men). Gu Jun Pyo isn't trying to get under Jan Di's skirt(same can be said about the Japanese version), and Jihoo is equally respectful to her. Will there be any kind of hot scenes in there? I really don't want to see a corrupted version of my favorite drama, I hardly ever turn on my television anymore because Hollywood depends way to much on sex.
Answer:
We do not have any sex scenes in our scripts although there are make out sessions that can imply that it happened. So expect a clean show with quite a few abs on display.
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Asked by Chappelle
I just hope the main female lead would not be as annoying as Jan Di, but more sensible and loveable like Makino.
Answer:
Actually because we have had problems trying to find a good loveable female lead that is the only role we are still searching to cast. Wish us luck.
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Asked by jacqueline
I wonder how much bullying we'll see in this remake or if we'll even get a red notice at all,how poor she'll actually be, like will they put her in a house or keep her into a small apartment, and if they'll keep the perm. I'm not too sure about this yet, but still might try it out.
Answer:
There will be a version of the Red notice in this and the bullying will be more intense. It will be more like in the original manga. As far as how poor she is, she is standard middle class.
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Asked by asiandramalover95
Will you be putting a little more focus on the Yi Jung/Ga Eul romance? I felt they should have done more with them in both the Japanese and Korean version. Please have more scenes with them and develop their relationship more!
Answer:
Yes. Yes. Yes. We have written an entire story line for them. We felt the same.
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Asked by Ahjussi
Speaking having only seen the Korean version, why boys over flowers of all the dramas you could pick? It's popularity was a mystery at the time, and certainly can't be attributed to the story.
Answer:
The story line is the one that is the easiest to adapt to American culture. We have done it differently but if you have only seen the Korean version you are in for a real treat. We follow the original manga series not the Korean version.
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Asked by hugepuffball
WOw... I actually am having a difficult time imagining it with Americans... but I did LOVE the Japanese Hana Yori Dango. The Korean one was a bit of a mess, but Lee Min Ho changed my world, and it was my first kdrama, so I suppose I have a soft spot for it.
How many episodes will there be? Will it be like Asian drama format with 16-24 episodes, or will there be potential for more seasons and for the script to be expanded on? Also, in America, the next CEO of a company is usually not the son of the past CEO and arranged marriage is pretty unheard of... Will you be changing things to make more sense to the American audience?
Answer:
Yes we will change things to make more sense in to the American Audience. There will be a total of 16 episodes. The last episode is a pretty definite ending so there really isn't any room for a second season.
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Asked by hugepuffball
Will you give Akira more to do? Because he was always just there... and I don't think he actually really contributed much to the story in either version, so it may as well have been an F3.
Answer:
Yes. He has his own story line as well. We have written him to be more of a main character.
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Asked by firnlambe
My questions are; where can we go for updates on this series and any other possible drama adaptations? and, If you haven't yet already, when do you plan to start filming?
Answer:
You can get updates from our site bbfseries.com and from there you can sign up for our newsletters. We plan to start filming October 21st.
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Asked by shaz22
Is Domyuji Tsukasa/Gu Jun Pyo's mother gonna remain an irrational errrrrrrrrrrrr..........you know what in the American version as well? Cause family dynamics aren't same all over the world so can I look forward for a more sane person in that case?
And also is Makino/ Shriek box (forgot the Korean counter part's name and don't wanna remember) gonna be like the Japanese drama or the Manga version or the Korean version? If u guys are going to follow the Korean version(I do hope not), I suggest u cast a soprano.
Anyways, good luck luring those unbeknownst to the holy land ;)
Answer:
Yes the mother will be a more sane person. Makino will be more like the manga version. Thanks!
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Asked by Mareina
If filming starts in October and they plan to air in November, won't they end up live shooting for the latter part? I know that's common in Asia, but I always thought it's unusual for the US, so I wonder if it wouldn't put too much pressure and reduce quality.
Answer:
Actually, most American TV shoots during season. They shoot 3 or 4 episodes in advance and then shoot the rest while it is airing. Our team bring over 15 years of Hollywood experience. The way Asian dramas film is not uncommon.
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Asked by tears-of-blood
Kind of excited to see what this will be like. Just not sure about the main girl being a dance, scared that it might turn into some sort of high school musical/ step up thing where it just revolves around dancing, I know they re trying to fit in with American audiences etc but I think that for this I would prefer it if she got into the school on a swimming scholarship or something.
Oh yeah and any idea on the name they're going with?
Answer:
Swimming is not popular here so it will not translate into popular American Culture. We are trying to stick with the name Boys Before Flowers but we are waiting to hear back from Shueisha as to if they will allow it. Stay Tuned.
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Asked by emily235
I just want to know how different the script is going to be. I personally think that some things in the original (such as Domyouji's crazy-ass mother, and her huge part in controlling the relationships her son has) don't REALLY translate well into a North American format. In Asia, it's all about respecting your parents and their decisions, but I feel like it really isn't the same in NA. How is the story going to work around things like that?
Answer:
Believe it or not, some Americans respect their parents too. The rich and elite culture in the US still do arranged marriages. Their parents set them up to marry other people with money. It really wasn't that hard to work around.
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Asked by tamstar07
The 1995 Japanese movie Hana Yori Dango (College) is the first adaption besides the anime. Meteor Garden (College - Taiwanese), Hana Yori Dango series (High School - Japanese) and Boys Over Flowers (High School-Korean) is the most recent adaption of Hana Yori Dango.
Is it going to be in a high setting or a college setting for the American version?
Answer:
College.
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Asked by Aya97
I can sincerly say that you guys are great!! Never in my wildest dreams I imagined that America will do a remake of an asian manga...because the cultural difference is really big.I'm really excited for this and I'm sure that many people are going to watch it.
Now with the questions.
1)One thing that annoys me in asian dramas is the lack of chemestry when it comes to actual skin to skin contact.They are all pink and pretty while talking but when it comes to kissing and making out sessions they kind of mess it up.Is you version going to show how real teenagers act around each other when it comes to dating?
2)I'm really curious what made you decide to make a remake of a manga...I mean most american companies tend to ignore asian entertaiment when it comes to TV shows
3)The last one I promise.As you probably already now all the series have some scenes that remained in our heads when we talk about BOF,HYD.The "waiting in the rain" and "amnesia part" are really popular...are you going to keep them or do something similar?
Answer:
Thank you so much for the support.
1. We will have a traditional American couple. They will kiss, hold hangs, hug, date etc. They are in Grad school so they are mature and understand what a relationship is.
2. We tried to go through a traditional network and we go the same answer, change this, change that, make the cast very "traditional." We didn't to be Gossip Girl so we went independent. We are all fans of TV from other countries since most of us were not raised in the US. We are all global travelers that have seen the world and want to bring the world to the US.
3. "wink" wait and see. Seriously, we will not remove iconic scenes that made fans love the series instead we will adapt them to make you love them more.
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Asked by Lamia0
that interesting but I feel Asian drama have their own touch what will u do if this drama didn't get popular becoz it was good drama? in other word maybe this drama will be popular just becoz another country is going too do a remak of an Asian drama ? is that what u hoping for ?
Answer:
Please understand that we love the fact that this series has such a huge fan base. But to be blunt, that fan base isn't big enough to get acknowledgement from traditional American channels. We want to stay true to the series to make sure the fans are happy but we are aiming for the American Audience to experience and love this series. It is an American Adaptation. Whether the American public loves it or not will depend on our production, scripts and actors not based on the fact that it originally was an Asian Drama or Manga. Someone said that earlier, American media ignores Asian TV programs and series. We have chosen not to.
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Asked by singing_jayne
You said you haven't picked the Tsukushi character yet but the role is a dancer. Are you looking for a trained dancer for this role? It is always painful to watch untrained people try to fake that they know dance.
Answer:
Yes we are looking for a trained dancer that can act as well.
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