Eli Kim.jpg
Known as "Lang Man Man Wu" in China, the South Korean 2004 hit drama titled "Full House" will have a remake in Mandarin, China Daily reported.
While the lead actress is yet to be announced, it has been confirmed on Oct. 20, Monday, that the lead male character will be played by Korean-American singer Eli Kim, one of the six members of the K-Pop band U-Kiss.
Born Kim Kyoungjae ni Los Angeles, Calif., by Korean parents, Eli is one of the three English-speaking members of U-Kiss--the two being AJ and Kevin--and the only Mandarin-speaking member of the band.
Eli attended high school in Virginia but dropped out and went to Beijing at age 15 and pursued his studies there. Having mastered Mandarin, taekwondo and kung fu, he was once cast as a bit player in a Chinese film.
Prior to the Mandarin version of "Full House," Eli's has experienced starring in a drama only once, which was in the 2010 Thai-Korean drama titled "Autumn's Destiny."
Eli's character in the Mandarin remake of "Full House" was played by Korean singer, actor and model Rain opposite Song Hye-kyo.
Rain has also starred in a Chinese film, the 2014 romance film "For Love or Money" opposite Liu Yifei. He also starred in two Hollywood films, "Speed Racer" in 2008 and "Ninja Assassin" in 2009.
It is said that Rain's career as an actor was launched by the original "Full House," which was based on a popular comic and is considered one of the best Hallyu (Korean wave) dramas.
The Mandarin version of "Full House" will start filming in December and its first episode will be aired in 2015, according to KpopStarz.
This is not the first time "Full House" is getting a remake from another Asian country. The Korean drama has also been remade in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Having worked on several adaptations, including "Tomorrow's Cantabile" and "Boys Over Flowers," Group 8 will produce the said Chinese remake in cooperation with Asia Media Holdings.
