“A child is coming—she will thrive, and through her, a family will endure.”
That’s the first sentence we hear in the trailer for the Apple TV+ adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s bestselling novel, “Pachinko.” The series follows Sunja, a young Korean woman who moves to Japan on the cusp of World War II, undergoing heartache, loss and suffering to ensure her family survives. The epic will cover her life as well as the lives of her children and grandchildren, spanning across different generations and countries.
The trailer, which dropped on Feb. 23, shows glimpses of Sunja throughout the years: first as a young child (played by Jeon Yu-na) in her fishing village, then as a struggling young mother portrayed by Minha Kim and finally Academy Award winner Youn Yuh-jung as Sunja in her later years. We also get a glimpse at other supporting actors, including Lee Minho, Jin Ha, Jung Eun-chae and Steve Sang-Hyun Noh. The eight-episode series will have Soo Hugh (AMC’s “The Terror”) as showrunner and executive producer, along with Kogonada and Justin Chon on board as dual directors, with each filmmaker directing four of the eight episodes.
“Pachinko” will premiere March 25 with three episodes on Apple TV+, and will subsequently air the following five episodes weekly on Fridays until April 29. Until then, be sure to watch the first trailer below and pick up a copy of the original novel here!
