Notwithstanding the record 40.9 percent rating that cliffhanger scene in Episode 11 of “Descendants of the Sun” got on Wednesday, chances of having a second season for the blockbuster Korean drama are slim.
Lee Eung-bok, one of the people who created the 16-episode drama, aired simultaneously over KBS 2TV In South Korea and video platform iQiyi in China, admitted it would be nice to have a second season but is not sure of the possibility. Among the reasons that Lee cited which makes a Season 2 difficult are to keep all the members of the main cast who would have difficult schedules to coordinate.
That’s because the current season was pre-produced, so everyone’s schedule was freed to shoot the 16 episodes. Being pre-produced is one element which contributed to the success of the drama, so clearing again everyone’s schedule to shoot for a second season would be a nightmare for the production staff.
Lee shared, “The shooting in Greece alone took a month. We needed three takes to create the earthquake scenes, had to construct a large-scale set on Mount Taebaek and constantly sought permission from the South Korean military to use their equipment and locations.”
Another reason is Season 2 would need two writers and again, and it would be difficult to find them again, Lee pointed out, reported Yonhap. It seems fans of “Descendants of the Sun” would really have to just content themselves with the three-day special to air on April 20 to 22.
It took the producers of “Descendants of the Sun” six months to film the whole season and complete the post-production. The producers then submitted it to the Chinese censors for review.
Lee admitted that he and production partner Bae Kyung-soo did not anticipate that “Descendants of the Sun” would become a megahit across Asia. He gave credit to the well-written script and the acting of lead stars Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo whom he disclosed were not the production’s first choice for the main roles.
It is not just the show that is logging record ratings but also the soundtrack which sold more than 20,000 copies last week and dominated domestic online music charts. An OST album that reached the 20,000 mark is considered now an achievement in South Korean music market because of the competition from online streaming and digital downloads.