Actress Go Ara / Courtesy of King Kong by Starship |
Actress Go Ara will take on the lead role in Tving's new original series, "Chunhwa Love Story" (direct translation), replacing the previous cast member, Go Ah-sung, who stepped down due to a health issue.
The streaming platform confirmed Thursday that Go Ara will play the character of a royal princess Hwari in the period romance drama.
Go Ah-sung, who was originally cast as the princess, recently suffered an injury that led to a 12-week hospitalization, forcing her to withdraw from the project.
Based on the novel of the same name, the upcoming series will follow Princess Hwari, a free-spirited and independent young woman despite her royal upbringing.
As she comes of age, Hwari defies tradition by rejecting an arranged marriage, opting instead to leave the palace and find true love.
Joining Go in the cast are actor Chang Ryul, who will play the character of Choi Hwan, the most eligible bachelor in the city and Hwari's first potential husband. Singer and actor Kang Chan-hee will portray the role of elite scholar, Jang Won, while Son Woo-hyun will play the role of Hwari's older brother, Prince Seung.
The series, set to premiere next year, is led by director Lee Gwang-young, who previously helmed Disney+'s melodrama series, "Call It Love" (2023), and scripted by Seo Eun-jung, who wrote Netflix's sitcom, "So Not Worth It" (2021).
Two major production houses, Beyond J and SLL, which are responsible for "Call It Love" and "Reborn Rich," respectively, are co-producing the series.
Go Ara who debuted as a child actor with the lead role in the hit teen series, "Sharp" in 2003, garnered huge popularity after landing the main character of the smash hit series, "Reply 1994" (2013).
She has starred in various TV series and movies, including the OCN occult series, "Black." She recently starred in the action film, "The Childe," playing a mysterious character named Yoon-joo.