While the cast and director of the “Reply” series recently had a 10th anniversary meeting, interest in the sequel is rising.
The “Reply” series is an emotional retro drama set in a specific year. Starting with tvN’s “Reply 1997”, “Reply 1994” and “Reply 1988”, as the series continued, the number of viewers increased and it became a syndrome.
However, since “Reply 1988” ended in January 2016, there has been no news about a sequel for 7 years.
In the meantime, director Shin Won Ho was immersed in the production of “Hospital Playlist” and “Prison Playbook”. He also raised fans’ expectations by mentioning that the possibility of a follow-up to “Reply” was open.
Fans consider “Reply 2002” and “Reply 2006” as strong candidates. In the case of “Reply 2002”, it is known as the year that the production team originally envisioned as the third series, and it has a big factor of South Korea advancing to the semifinals of the World Cup.
In the case of “Reply 2006”, it has risen as a strong candidate due to the 15-year cycle theory in 2021. Based on the fact that “Reply 1997” was produced in 2012, there is a 15-year gap. However, production did not take place in 2021. But now that we have entered the 2020s, there is still a dominant opinion that if “Reply” is filmed again, it will be set in the mid-2000s.
Amid such interest, on December 8th, news that would please fans was delivered. In relation to the 10th anniversary of “Reply 1997”, Seo In Guk appeared on MBC FM4U’s radio and said, “We are doing something under Lee Si Eon’s plan. We plan to shoot before December ends.”
On December 13th, Lee Si Eon also appeared on MBC FM4U’s “2 O’Clock Date Musician, Ahn Young Mi” and said, “We are preparing for a talk show with actors and directors who have time.”
Afterwards, director Shin Won Ho appeared on Lee Si Eon’s YouTube channel and mentioned the next “Reply” series, drawing a lot of attention.
Director Shin Won Ho said, “(The ‘Reply’ series) is a story I really want to tell, but there are things that are not easy to get done in reality.”
Regarding the fans’ expectations for the production of “Reply 2002”, he said, “In fact, 2002 is the most difficult year. It is difficult to get the copyright for the World Cup.”
He added, “The Seoul Olympics are shown in the first episode of ‘Reply 1988’, and I had to call the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland for the copyright. It is not permanent. There is a contract period. All the related scenes in currently aired rebroadcasts are blurred. Production of ‘Reply 2002’ is difficult due to copyright.”
In fact, in the special feature of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, it cost tvN’s entertainment show “You Quiz on the Block” 2 million won per second to include the World Cup game scene, shocking people.
Director Shin added, “The ‘Reply’ series contains a lot of props, the power of cultural products, songs, movies and dramas,” emphasizing the difficulty of gaining copyright.
Not only “Reply 1997” but also “Reply 1994” cast members recently met up. Go Ara, Jeong Woo, Yoo Yeon Seok, Kim Sung Kyun, Min Do Hee, Son Ho Jun, Cha Sun Woo, and director Shin Won Ho all reunited, once again raising expectations for the next season of “Reply”.
Source: Naver.
