tvN thriller romance series “Flower of Evil” (2020) will be made into a play in Japan, its production company Studio Dragon said Monday.

The announcement was first revealed during the Studio Dragon’s drama festival, dubbed the “K-Drama Fest 2024 with Studio Dragon,” held at the Makuhari Messe exhibition hall in Chiba, Japan, on Saturday.


The theater version of “Flower of Evil” is set to premiere in 2026 and will feature Japanese actors, according to the local production house.

The stage adaptation project was carried out as part of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Studio Dragon and Japan’s Avex Pictures signed in May last year. The two companies previously collaborated on the Japanese musical rendition of “Vincenzo” (2021) in August 2023.

“Flower of Evil,” starring Lee Joon-gi and Moon Chae-won, revolves around a man who hides his true identity from his detective wife.As she investigates a series of murders that point to him, hidden truths begin to surface. The series was first released in July 2020 and topped Japan’s Netflix series Top 10 list for nine consecutive weeks, according to Studio Dragon.

“The reason this drama captivated so many people lies not only in its entertaining elements of mystery and suspense, but also in the profound love and human drama at its core,” said Yuuka Higuchi, a general producer at Avex Pictures. “We aim to create a piece that can move the audience on a deeper emotional level by presenting this story in a new form through a stage play.”

“The stage adaptation of ‘Flower of Evil’ is a great example showing the limitless potential for expanding drama intellectual properties (IPs) that have already proven their popularity in the local market,” said Yoo Bong-yeol, the head of the content IP department of Studio Dragon.

“Studio Dragon has recently achieved continued success in the global market by expanding its drama IPs into various formats, such as the musical adaptations of ‘Crash Landing on You’ (2019) and ‘Vincenzo’ to the stage adaptation of ‘The Flower of Evil.’”

Yoo also revealed that reviving the musical rendition of “Vincenzo" is under discussion.

The “K-Drama Fest 2024 with Studio Dragon” was held on Saturday, with actors Ok Taec-yeon from “Vicenzo” and actors from “Flower of Evil” holding sessions each to discuss their experiences on the Studio Dragon-produced pieces.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]