Netflix is taking another gamble on an Asian-produced series that the streaming service is no doubt hoping will follow in the footsteps of other surprise hits it has brought to the U.S. market. The series was raising eyebrows well before any teasers were released, mainly because a South Korean version of the successful Spanish TV series Money Heist doesn’t immediately sound like a home run, but thankfully, Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area definitely looks like it has legs.
The new official trailer, which Netflix released June 2, has already helped put doubts to rest despite taking major liberties with the source material. While the original series was a stylish heist thriller set in its native Spain, the South Korean series will take place in a reunified Korea, with the goal of the thieves not being the Royal Mint of Spain, but an imaginary joint bank serving both the North and the South of the Korean peninsula.
Fans of the original will likely enjoy that the two series share a common storyline. A mysterious mastermind known as “The Professor” assembles a crack team of professional criminals to pull off a seemingly impossible task. In the reimagined series, the team will attempt to steal four trillion won from the Korea Unified Mint, “in hopes of overturning the unfair world where only the rich get richer,” according to the Netflix press release.
But actions speak louder than words, and the trailer shows that director Kim Hong-sun is applying just as much style as the original. Fans online are definitely hungry to see more, ASAP.
Thankfully, audiences will only have to wait a few weeks to slake their thirst. Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area will be available to view on Netflix beginning June 24.