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| Actresses Ra Mi-ran, left, and Lee Re / Courtesy of C-Jes Entertainment |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actresses Ra Mi-ran and Lee Re will lead a new fantasy drama tentatively titled "The Mysterious Candy Store." The series will be directed by Park Bong-seob, who previously helmed "Uncanny Counter" (2020-2021) and "Eve" (2022).
Based on Reiko Hiroshima's children's novel of the same title, the drama revolves around a mysterious candy store only visible to lucky people. The store owner gives personalized candy recommendations for each visitor based on their worries.
If people eat or use candies incorrectly, things may not go as planned. In the end, it is up to the person receiving the sweet whether it brings them fortune or misfortune.
In the series, Ra will play the role of candy store owner Hong-ja who prescribes candies to make one's dream come true.
"While reading the script of 'The Mysterious Candy Store,' I imagined how sweets sold by Hong-ja could grant wishes to her customers. I'm curious about how the script will be turned into a live-action drama," she said in a statement.
In April, Ra is set to appear in JTBC's "The Good Bad Mother" as a single mother who runs a pig farm business while raising her son.
Lee will star as Hong-ja's rival Yo-mi who runs another candy store. Lee has starred in many hit dramas and films including "Hellbound" (2021), "Peninsula" (2020) and "Seven Years of Night" (2018).
"I acted alongside Ra in the 2013 drama film 'Hope.' At that time, I was so young I didn't have much chance to talk to her. It's such an honor to reconnect with her and collaborate on such an interesting project," she said in a statement.
About taking on her first villainous role, Lee said, "I want to create an unconventional villain that viewers won't forget."
The original novel series debuted in May 2013. The novel franchise has sold more than 1.9 million copies in Korea.
The filming of "The Mysterious Candy Store" began on March 24. It will start airing in the second half of 2023.
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