The production of Season 2 of 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' has officially begun, following the drama’s meteoric rise from a modest 0.9% premiere rating to a staggering 17.5% finale that turned it into a nationwide phenomenon.
According to a report by Bloter on January 29, production company AStory has entered the pre-production phase for 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' Season 2. It has been confirmed that Moon Ji Won, the writer behind Season 1, is currently working on the script.
'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' aired on ENA from June to August 2022. The series follows Woo Young Woo, a rookie lawyer with autism spectrum disorder and extraordinary intelligence, as she navigates life and work at the major law firm Hanbada. The drama starred Park Eun Bin in the lead role, alongside Kang Tae Oh, Kang Ki Young, Ha Yoon Kyung, Joo Jong Hyuk, and Joo Hyun Young, forming a strong and well-balanced cast.
The drama gained explosive popularity through word of mouth. While it began quietly with a 0.9% viewership rating, ratings climbed steadily with each episode, culminating in a 17.5% nationwide rating (19.2% in the Seoul metropolitan area) for its final episode, the highest rating ever recorded for an ENA drama. The series also entered Netflix’s Global Top 10 and went on to win numerous awards, including the Grand Prize in the TV category at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
Given its unprecedented success, calls for a follow-up season poured in immediately after the finale. In an August 2022 interview with Edaily, AStory CEO Lee Sang Baek stated, “Thanks to the overwhelming support from viewers, we plan to produce Season 2 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Our ideal golden time would be around 2024, and our goal is to have Season 2 air around then.”
He added, “Coordinating the schedules of the cast and production team won’t be easy, so extensive discussions will be necessary. However, unless something unexpected happens, our goal is to retain over 90% of the original members.” He emphasized that while coordination would take considerable time, plans for Season 2 remained unchanged.
However, delays in script development pushed back casting schedules as well. Park Eun Bin, who played the titular role, revealed in an interview last year that she had not yet been contacted regarding Season 2 casting.
She had previously expressed a cautious stance on returning for another season shortly after the series ended. “It feels like a very difficult decision,” Park said. “The more love the show received, the higher the expectations become, and I can’t confidently say whether I can surpass that. It would require an even greater level of determination than when I first decided to portray Young Woo.”
In contrast, supporting cast members have shown a more positive outlook. Kang Tae Oh, who played Lee Jun Ho, said in a past interview with Chosun Ilbo, “Nothing has been decided in detail yet, but if the opportunity comes, I really, really want to do Season 2. Whether it will be possible to film it right after my return from the military hasn’t been confirmed, so we’ll have to see, but I would love to participate if given the chance.” Kang Tae Oh completed his 18-month mandatory military service and was discharged in March 2024.
Joo Hyun Young, who portrayed Dong Geu Ra Mi, also shared her enthusiasm in a previous interview with News1, saying, “I first found out through the news that Season 2 might happen. If it really does, I think Geu Ra Mi would still be living her life happily.”
AStory also addressed plans for overseas remakes. An AStory representative told Bloter, “We are pursuing remakes in the United States, Japan, and Europe. We plan to directly oversee the entire process abroad, from pre-production and adaptation to scheduling. These global projects could also help accelerate the production of Season 2.”
Once preparations such as script completion and casting are finalized, Extraordinary Attorney Woo Season 2 is expected to move into filming. Attention is now focused on whether the original cast will reunite for the highly anticipated sequel.
SEE ALSO: All eyes on new upcoming Korean drama 'Spellbound' starring Park Eun Bin and Yang Se Jong
SHARE
