IQiyi International, the overseas arm of Chinese streaming service iQiyi, has set “Bad and Crazy” as its third Korean-language original series.

The action-packed detective story is produced by Studio Dragon, one of Korea’s leading production houses, and part of the CJ ENM group. It will be available from December this year.

The narrative involves a corrupt police supervisor who is suddenly tasked with eradicating internal corruption and social injustice and a difficult to control who dishes out justice through violence.

It was created by the team behind “The Uncanny Counter,” and stars Lee Dong Wook (“Tale of the Nine Tailed,” “Goblin: The Lonely and Great God”), Wi Ha Jun (“18 Again,” “Something in the Rain,” “Midnight”), Han Ji Eun (“Lovestruck in the City,” “Be Melodramatic”) and Cha Hak Yeon (“Mine,” “Children of Nobody”).

“Bad and Crazy” is the third collaboration between iQiyi and Studio Dragon, after “My Roommate Is a Gumiho” and “Shooting Stars,” which is currently in production.

Korean drama content is hugely popular around much of Asia and has been the bedrock of the acquisition strategy of regional streaming rivals. It is now in demand from global streamers including Netflix, Disney Plus and HBO Max.

The status of Korean shows in mainland China has been moot for the past three years due to deteriorating political relations between the People’s Republic of China and the South Korean governments. The stalemate appeared to thaw earlier this year, but many Korean entertainment firms feel themselves affected by China’s latest crackdown on non-Socialist morality.

IQiyi says that “Bad and Crazy” will play in 191 countries and territories. But it did not clarify whether it will be allowed to play in mainland China.

IQiyi International is headquartered in Singapore, and serves up pan-Asian entertainment to international viewers through both ad-supported and subscription services. It focuses on drama series, movies, variety shows and animation, with local languages and subtitles.

 

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