[NEWS] Choi Jin-hyuk offered role in Heirs

Woohoo! Choi Jin-hyuk — aka the most romantic gumiho ever — is currently up for upcoming buzz drama Heirs, which stars Lee Min-ho and Park Shin-hye and comes from the pen of star writer Kim Eun-sook (Secret Garden). He’s received the offer and is currently “positively considering” it. Everybody knock some wood, throw some salt, and do your rain dances now!

This is also the drama that recently lost or dropped (depending on how you read it) Jung Yong-hwa due to conflict of opinion with the producers. Now, I think Yong-hwa’s cute and talented as a musician, but that doesn’t stop me from thinking that this would be the best trade-off EVER. I love Choi Jin-hyuk all on his own, though, so I’d be excited no matter whom he was replacing. He has a wonderful warmth and groundedness that makes him super appealing even in terrible projects (ahem, It’s Okay, Daddy’s Girl), though of course I’d prefer seeing him in something solid.

If Choi signs on (please oh please), the cast would actually be much better than I dared hope; when the second lead slot opened up again I figured the most I would hope for was an appealing young guy who maybe had some charisma who wouldn’t totally sink the ship. Instead we get a guy who might seriously challenge my allegiance to the main romantic pairing, because seriously, what’s it take for Choi Jin-hyuk to get a Happily Ever After around here? (See: I Need Romance, Panda and Hedgehog.) And even when he does, well, the drama tends to not be worth watching.

I do think the entire cast is a bit old to be revisiting adolescence (Park Shin-hye could pull it off, but the guys are definitely twentysomething leading men now) but the drama is reportedly all about chaebols (thus heirs) and sparkling romantic comedy told in a Gossip Girl-like way, and Gossip Girl always felt like it was 16-year-olds acting 30. (Which is funny since Kim Eun-sook’s characters are usually 30 acting 16. But maybe this weird dichotomy will work out well for this project.)

Gah, now we just have to wait. Till October. Which is forever away.