Kang Yoon-sung, director of Disney’s upcoming Big Bet, wrote the series with the intent to wrap up the story within two seasons.
The director told the Korean Times that he believes two seasons would be sufficient to tell his story; which he sees as an important and cautionary tale for viewers.
“I envisioned a long story from the beginning and planned it as a two-season show,” Kang said.
The new Disney+ series is a highly-anticipated entry into what Disney believes is a big part of its streaming strategy in the wake of an ever-growing K-pop takeover of the states.
Big Bet is pulled from the pages of life
According to Yoon-sung, Big Bet tells the story of Cha Moo-sik, a South Korean gambler who rose to the upper echelon of underground casinos in the Philippines before finding himself on the wrong side of the law and some pretty unscrupulous characters. Cornered in every direction, Cha will place a really big bet to get back in the game. Kang says the story is based on a real life character but edited for plausibility; how OG was this guy?
Kang Yoon-sung was last seen on the big screen after his South Korean mega-hit The Outlaws raked in $59 million at the box office and netted seven awards and 24 nominations.
The director said he was initially hesitant to work with Disney but now values the freedom the streamer has given him to tell his story.
The question is: will he get to finish it?
Big Bet created with the ending in mind
Great shows are hard to let go of. Was anyone ready to say goodbye to the world of Game of Thrones? Spoiler alert: no. The endless news of GOT spinoffs is evidence of that.
But sometimes, good shows can wear out their welcome (Lost, The Sopranos, The Office, 30 Rock, etc.). That’s why we’re excited about Yoon-sung’s plan. Tell your story and let it stand on its merit; history will decide.
When programs don’t know when to hit the off button because studios can’t wean themselves off the ratings (ad dollars) established IP nets them, viewer interest in the series begins to fade, and channel surfing ensues. In the long run, resting on laurels is just lazy, and viewers recognize it even if it’s something they don’t realize at the time.
Great for studios but terrible for folks bouncing between streamers each month as the streaming wars push more people out of the a la carte model with higher costs.
What does this mean for Big Bet?
We anticipate Big Bet doing well with audiences. Kang Yoon-sung’s last film, The Outlaws, currently holds a 91 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes coupled with a 79 percent fresh rating with audiences. Variety called The Outlaws a “very entertaining if not quite first-rank genre exercise that reps an auspicious bow for first-time feature director Kang Yoon-Seong.”
And Han Cinema added that Kang Yoon-sung “presents an impressive combination of true-story, crime, and action-thriller, with the added value that the film entails much humor, even in its most unexpected moments, without losing its seriousness” in The Outlaws.
Considering Big Bet appears to be cut from the same cloth, it provides refreshing insight for viewers.
Beginning with the end in mind, Yoon-sung looks to tell a complete story, one with unambiguous stakes and plot expectations. Our hero isn’t a hero at all; he’s cornered and on the clock. Can he pull off the Big Bet?
If you still need to check out the trailer for Big Bet, here it is.
Big Bet projected audience score: 82.
Why did Big Bet receive a score of 82?
Streaming This Weekend evaluates trailers based on up to 30 questions and criteria to spot movie production value. The score could be better. In fact, it likely speaks more to the quality of the trailer, which could give us insight into the final film.
We also incorporate trends from the players involved in the movie. How did the last director’s film do? What project did the writers and producers contribute to last? How were the performers received in their previous films? We incorporate 30 data points or more into our evaluation of the trailer(s).
Happy streaming, everyone!