Coupang Play -- the country’s most-watched streaming service after Netflix -- is rolling out its marquee year-end release, “Heroes Next Door,” a comedic action series that reunites several unforgettable faces from “The Outlaws” universe. The result is a light-hearted comedy that blends feel-good humor with punchy action.
“Heroes Next Door” centers on a band of seemingly ordinary neighbors who turn out to have extraordinary pasts. Leading the ensemble is Yoon Kye-sang, the “Outlaws” alumnus who plays Choi Kang, a former special forces soldier-turned-insurance investigator pulled back into action as dangers threaten the neighborhood.
Coupang Play has positioned the 10-part series as its flagship year-end tentpole, following the momentum of earlier breakouts such as Im Si-wan’s “Boyhood” and Bae Doo-na’s “Family Matters.”
Yoon said his decision to sign on was partly driven by timing. “I wanted to do action before I get any older,” he explained during a press conference held Monday. He described Choi Kang as a man whose cool exterior belies a different persona under pressure: “He’s someone whose everyday demeanor is completely different from how he behaves in moments of crisis. That duality was very appealing to me.”
“Heroes Next Door” additionally serves as an unofficial reunion of actors familiar to fans of “The Roundup” films, one of Korea’s most enduring crime franchises.
According to director Cho Woong, he did not cast them simply to echo the films. “I had heard people say Jin Seon-kyu and Yoon Kye-sang have great chemistry, but I didn't purposefully pick the duo (from the same franchise),” he noted. “Because the drama needs to deliver both tension and humor whenever an incident occurs, the actors' synergy was crucial. I simply cast what I believed to be the best possible combination.”
The on-screen chemistry, it turns out, comes naturally. Yoon said, “I respect Jin as an actor and also really like him as a person. Our chemistry is so good that I can’t even tell whether it’s because of that or if it’s something almost fated.”
Ahead of the premiere, Yoon also gave a nod to cable channel ENA’s earlier hit “Ms. Incognito,” which closed at 7.1 percent nationwide, ranking No. 2 on the channel. "Heroes Next Door" is slated to air simultaneously on ENA and Coupang Play. “I worked with the ‘Ms. Incognito’ director on ‘The Kidnapping Day,’ so we have that connection,” he said. “I watched the premiere and the ratings were so high. I hope our series can hit that level too,” he said.
New episodes of “Heroes Next Door” are released every Monday and Tuesday for five weeks starting Nov. 17 on Coupang Play.
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