The authors of Squid Game return to Netflix with a k-drama about gambling

Netflix consolidates its bond with the Korean audiovisual industry by announcing the start of production of The Dealer, a new project which sees the direct involvement of Firstman Studio. The series is supervised by Hwang Dong-hyuk, former director of Squid Game, and marks the directorial debut of Choi Young-hwan, a name known in the cinematographic scene for his work as director of photography on successful films such as Veteran and Tazza. The declared objective is to transport the spectator into the tense and sumptuous atmospheres of international gaming halls, combining the aesthetics of the thriller with the dynamism of the genre story.

The plot revolves around the figure of Jung Geonhwa, played by Jung So-min, a professional in the sector whose private life is suddenly turned upside down by a real estate scam just before the wedding. The accident puts her marriage plans at risk, pushing her back into a criminal underworld she had tried so hard to avoid. To recover what was lost and finally get married, Geonhwa will have to rely on latent skills and a talent that has so far been kept hidden, moving between the dangers of clandestine gambling and the constant pressure of organized crime.

The supporting cast enriches the narrative with figures that mirror the protagonist. Ryoo Seung-bum plays the role of Hwang Chisu, a hand-to-mouth player who will join Geonhwa’s risky plans, while Lee Soo-hyuk plays Jo Jun, a cold green table professional capable of dominating every game with an impenetrable poker face. To complicate the picture, Ryu Kyung-soo intervenes in the role of a zealous detective, as well as the protagonist’s boyfriend, unaware of the woman’s double life. The series therefore promises to be a choral work capable of alternating the tension of the gaming tables with the complexity of the personal bonds of its main performers.