What if we could access our memories and brain waves like data in a hard drive? This question has motivated the acclaimed Korean webtoon Dr. Brain in a series of striking animated tableaus. And now, as part of Apple TV+'s new spate of international content (a globalization play most of the big streaming services are now making), this webtoon will become a live-action sci-fi thriller TV series, courtesy of some of South Korea's most celebrated filmmakers and performers.
The live-action Dr. Brain, currently in production in South Korea, is written and directed by Kim Jee-woon, who gave us such ultraviolent genre masterpieces as A Tale of Two Sisters and I Saw the Devil. It stars Lee Sun-kyun of Parasite fame as a brain scientist determined to figure out how to access our brain's most inner secrets and memories, with the ulterior motive of finding out the truth behind a terrible tragedy that happened to his family. Producers include Kim, Samuel Yeunju Ha (Okja), Ham Jung Yeub and Daniel Han for Studioplex, and Joy Jinsoo Lee and Min Young Hong for Kakao Entertainment.
While I'm not familiar with the webtoon, I love the sound of this premise, I love the pedigree of the talent involved, and I love that American audiences will have access to more interesting, international content. I've been a fan of the contemporary South Korean cinema scene for awhile now, and to get such an intriguing, mind-bending, and spooky TV series from the hearts and minds of this pool of great storytellers is a win for Apple TV+.
Check out the official synopsis of Dr. Brain below.
"Dr. Brain" is an emotional journey that follows a brain scientist who is obsessive about figuring out new technologies to access the consciousness and memories of the brain. His life goes sideways when his family falls victim to a mysterious accident, and he uses his skills to access memories from his wife’s brain to piece together the mystery of what actually happened to his family and why.