Netflix’s very first Korean-language animated film will be the love story Lost in Starlight, starring the voices of K-drama powerhouses Kim Tae-ri and Hong Kyung.
Most recently seen in the K-horror series Revenant, the two have proven they have an uncanny chemistry. In Lost in Starlight, they lend their voices to the roles of astronaut Nan-young and musician Jay, who embark on the longest-ever long-distance relationship — one that bridges Earth and Mars.
After working in diverse genres like The Spacesweepers, Twenty Five Twenty One, Alienoid and more, Kim makes her first foray into voice-acting as scientist Nan-young, whose astronaut mom failed to return to Earth when things went awry during her Mars probe. Nan-young has always dreamed of exploring space too, and longs to go to Mars in hopes of finding a trace of her mom.
Her dream comes true when she is selected as one of the astronauts for a Mars probe project. Before she blasts off though, she meets Jay, a musician who also fixes retro sound instruments. (It’s all thanks to an old turntable that Nan-young inherited from her mom.) Jay is portrayed by Hong, an up-and-comer known for his previous works in like Innocence, D.P., and Weak Hero Class 1.
The two actors participated in the pre-recording and live-action processes, to express the emotions of their characters in deeper ways. Their interpretations of Nan-young and Jay thus deeply influenced the animation process and will make for a heartfelt love story.
Writer-director Han Ji-won arrived on the Korean animation scene with the debut of her short film Kopi Luwak, and has expanded her distinctively delicate style with works like Clearer than You Think and Recipe to My Daughter. She was recently invited to the Sundance Film Festival to show her short film The Sea on the Day When the Magic Returns. In Lost in Starlight, Han will use her talents to tell a story of star-crossed love that unfolds against the expanse of space.
Climax Studio – which has showcased K-content globally with Netflix series like Hellbound, D.P. and JUNG_E – is behind the production of Lost in Starlight. This animated film will premiere exclusively on Netflix.