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A year after disappearing from the radar because of the Kim Soo-hyun case, The long-awaited Kdrama «Knock-Off» seems to be gradually making a comeback. According to several sources in the Korean audiovisual industry on February 28, Disney+ is now considering relaunching this ambitious series, initially suspended in March 2025.
Presented as one of the platform's major projects in Asia, Knock-Off was to mark Kim Soo-hyun's return to a major production. But in the face of personal controversies involving the lead actor, Disney+ took a radical line and announced an indefinite suspension of the project, despite a budget estimated at nearly 600 billion won.
A return is now being seriously considered
Twelve months later, the context seems to have changed. As the platform revises its programming for the first half of 2026, Knock-Off is now being seriously reconsidered for release.
Keeping a project of this scale dormant represents a significant cost. At the same time, Kim Soo-hyun's international popularity remains solid, which could encourage the platform to opt for a release rather than a definitive abandonment.
Set against the backdrop of the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, the series follows the rise of a man who became a dominant figure in the counterfeit market. With an ambitious period reconstruction and direction by Park Hyun-seok, it was conceived from the outset as a production with a strong international reach. The series stands out for its attention to historical reconstruction and its visual scope.
A decisive moment expected in March
With major Korean companies such as Lotte Wellfood and Hana Bank boosting the market in 2026 through aggressive investment and innovation, the return of this large-scale production is raising hopes that it can breathe new life into the entire content sector.
In addition, as the entertainment companies approach their investor presentations scheduled for early March, it is increasingly likely that the status of the remaining scenes to be shot, as well as the broadcast strategy, will be discussed. Stocks linked to the sector have begun to show an upward trend.
An industry official commented, «Like the mild weather of recent days, the ice covering Kim Soo-hyun's return is beginning to melt,» adding, «Whether the «Knock Off» name will reappear at the official program presentation in early March will be the major point of interest in the entertainment world during the first half of the year.».
Should this be confirmed, the project could go from being a suspended production to a major event on the Kdrama landscape in 2026.
