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Star-studded space thriller ‘The Silent Sea’ is Netflix’s Christmas offering

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Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Gong Yoo and Bae Doona star in the sci-fi thriller series ‘The Silent Sea,’ which will be available for streaming on Netflix on December 24. Photo courtesy of Netflix" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/entertainment/12/22/20211222-the-silent-sea1.jpg"/><figcaption>Gong Yoo and Bae Doona star in the sci-fi thriller series ‘The Silent Sea,’ which will be available for streaming on Netflix on December 24. <em>Photo courtesy of Netflix</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — In 2014, Choi Hang-yong released a short film called “The Sea of Tranquility,” which served as his graduation project. Fortunately, one of those who saw the work was veteran Korean actor Jung Woo-sung, who later approached Choi with the idea of turning the short into a series.</p><p>“It was a small, rough gemstone at first. And it was a matter of how much we would allow it to shine by processing it,” Jung said in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3GMzNt3Gos">video </a>released Wednesday by Netflix.</p><p>Now, the short has been developed into “The Silent Sea,” an eight-part sci-fi thriller series headlined by some of South Korea’s most prominent actors.</p><p>“The Silent Sea,” scheduled to premiere on Netflix on Christmas Eve, revolves around a group of space explorers who embark on a perilous mission to an abandoned research facility on the moon.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Lee Moo-saeng, Kim Sun-young, Gong Yoo, Bae Doona, Lee Joon and Lee Sung-wook at the press conference for ‘The Silent Sea.’ Photo courtesy of Netflix" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/entertainment/12/22/20211222-the-silent-sea.jpg"/><figcaption>Lee Moo-saeng, Kim Sun-young, Gong Yoo, Bae Doona, Lee Joon and Lee Sung-wook at the press conference for ‘The Silent Sea.’ <em>Photo courtesy of Netflix</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>“I wanted to create a story with the backdrop being the surface of the moon. During the research, I found out that even though the moon is the closest to us (Earth), there&#x27;s not much that has been revealed to us,&quot; Choi said in an online press conference on Wednesday.</p><p>Choi hoped he would be able to tell a “bigger story” now that his work has become a series backed by the streaming giant.</p><p>“In the short film, we only talk about what happens in the station but with it becoming a series, we were able to depict what happened on the Earth, how the other people are living,” he said.</p><p>The show’s trailer showed a desolate Earth with depleting resources.</p><p>“So it’s no longer about the story of the expedition team but about survival and mankind,” the director said. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Af_Hj0MDBBQ?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Gong Yoo and Bae Doona lead the powerhouse cast, playing a military veteran who leads the expedition and an astrobiologist who seeks to uncover the truth behind the lunar research facility, respectively.</p><p>“Because sci-fi and outer space series are not that common in Korea, I thought it was a big challenge,” Bae said, explaining why she took on the project.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/02/25/21/bae-doo-na-gong-yoo-team-up-in-upcoming-korean-space-drama-the-silent-sea/">Bae Doo-na, Gong Yoo team up in upcoming Korean space drama &#x27;The Silent Sea&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>Gong said he also wanted to challenge himself by acting in a new genre, having previously starred in many romance dramas.</p><p>“I had always wanted to challenge myself to play a role in a genre series and as a member of the audience, when I like to consume content, I&#x27;m very interested in a dystopian backdrop,” said Gong, known for starring in the hit 2016 zombie film “Train to Busan.”</p><p>“The Silent Sea” also stars Lee Joon (former member of the K-pop band MBLAQ), Lee Moo-saeng (from “The World of the Married”), Kim Sun-young (“Reply 1988” and “Crash Landing On You”) and Lee Sung-wook.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="One of the sets used in the filming of ‘The Silent Sea.’ Photo courtesy of Netflix" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/entertainment/12/22/20211222-the-silent-sea2.jpg"/><figcaption>One of the sets used in the filming of ‘The Silent Sea.’ <em>Photo courtesy of Netflix</em></figcaption></figure></div><div><strong>Success of K-content</strong></div><p>“The Silent Sea” is Netflix’s latest original Korean series following the success of the survival drama “Squid Game” and apocalyptic “Hellbound.”</p><p>It’s also the latest sci-fi content out of South Korea, which released its first space opera film — the Song Joong-ki-starrer “Space Sweepers” — earlier this year.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/02/05/21/why-song-joong-ki-joined-space-sweepers-even-before-reading-script">Why Song Joong-ki joined ‘Space Sweepers’ even before reading script</a></li></ul><p>“The reason why outer space sci-fi is a challenge [is] because in the Korean landscape, we don’t have much experience in this field,” said series writer Park Eun-kyo.</p><p>“So when I was writing the script, I wasn’t sure that this would be made into a realistic set,” she said.</p><p>Director Choi said the production team used five studios to recreate the moon’s surface and research facility.</p><p>Instead of using blue screen, an LED wall was put up on the set to project backgrounds, giving the actors a more immersive environment, he added.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="" The="" Silent="" follows="" a="" group="" of="" space="" explorers="" on="" mission="" to="" an="" abandoned="" research="" station="" the="" moon.="" Photo="" courtesy="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/entertainment/12/22/20211222-the-silent-sea3.jpg"/><figcaption>&#x27;The Silent Sea&#x27; follows a group of space explorers on a mission to an abandoned research station on the moon. <em>Photo courtesy of Netflix</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Park also said she does not believe that there is a conscious attempt to give a “uniquely Korean” touch to K-content, which has seen increasing global popularity in the last two decades.</p><p>“We live in a culture where you don’t only think about yourself but relationships are very important. And I feel like that element really brings something about K-content that resonates with a wider audience,” she explained.</p><p>“It&#x27;s not really a deliberate process where you think to yourself, ‘I want to bring something that&#x27;s uniquely Korean into what I create,’” she added.</p><p>Jung, who is making his debut as an executive producer, admitted to feeling pressure because of the success of Netflix’s Korean productions, but argued that it was unfair to compare “The Silent Sea” with past titles.</p><p>“I think it wouldn’t be fair to say this piece is going to do great because former K-content were so successful,” Jung said.</p><p>“Whether or not it will be able to resonate with a global audience, it’s something that we have to wait and see,” he said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/10/13/21/squid-game-becomes-netflixs-biggest-ever-launch-hit">‘Squid Game’ becomes Netflix’s biggest ever launch hit</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/11/17/21/beliefs-clash-in-chaotic-world-of-k-drama-hellbound">Beliefs clash in chaotic world of Korean series ‘Hellbound’</a></li></ul>

The upcoming series ‘The Silent Sea’ follows a group of space explorers on a perilous mission to an abandoned research facility on the moon.

Star-studded space thriller ‘The Silent Sea’ is Netflix’s Christmas offering

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Star-studded space thriller ‘The Silent Sea’ is Netflix’s Christmas offering

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 22, 2021 03:00 PM PHT

|

Updated Dec 22, 2021 08:16 PM PHT

Read More:

Korean series

K-drama

K-content

Hallyu

The Silent Sea

Gong Yoo

Bae Doona

Lee Joon

Lee Moo-saeng

Kim Sun-young

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