Today, Apple TV+ unveiled a first look and the premiere date for the international drama series Pachinko, as well as the launch date for Skydance Animation’s Luck.
Pachinko will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on March 25, 2022. The series will be told in three languages — Korean, Japanese, and English — and debut with the first three episodes followed by new weekly installments each Friday during its eight-episode season through April 29, 2022.
The series is based on The New York Times best-selling acclaimed novel (check price at Amazon) by the same name.
Epic in scope and intimate in tone, Pachinko begins with a forbidden love and crescendos into a sweeping saga that journeys between Korea, Japan, and America to tell an unforgettable story of war and peace, love and loss, triumph and reckoning.
Pachinko is written and executive produced by Soo Hugh (The Terror, The Killing), who created the series and serves as showrunner. Kogonada and Justin Chon are executive producers and directed four episodes each, with Kogonada directing the pilot.
Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer executive produce for Media Res; Theresa Kang-Lowe executive produces for Blue Marble Pictures; and Media Res’ Dani Gorin co-executive produces along with Richard Middleton, David Kim, and Sebastian Lee.
“They say there are those projects that come along and change the very core of who you are as a filmmaker and a person. Undoubtedly, ‘Pachinko’ is that project for me,” said Soo Hugh.
“Not only is this a story of my forebears, it’s my tribute to them — to all of the Sunjas buried deep in all of our family’s history. It’s been an incredible honor to bring this series to life with this dedicated and gifted cast and crew.”
The series stars Soji Arai as Mozasu, Jin Ha as Solomon, Inji Jeong as Yangjin, Minha Kim as teenage Sunja, Lee Minho as Hansu, Kaho Minami as Etsuko, Steve Sanghyun Noh as Isak, and Anna Sawai as Naomi.
Also starring are Junwoo Han as Yoseb, Jung Eun-chae as Young Kyunghee, Jimmi Simpson as Tom Andrews, Yu-na Jeon as young Sunja, and Academy Award-winning actress Youn Yuh Jung as older Sunja.
Apple Original Films and Skydance Animation today also revealed that the animated-adventure film Luck will debut globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, August 5.
Luck centers around the story of Sam Greenfield, the unluckiest person in the world. When she discovers the never-before-seen Land of Luck, Sam must unite with the magical creatures there to turn her luck around.
Eva Noblezada (Hadestown, Miss Saigon, Yellow Rose) will provide the voice for Sam. When she ages out of foster care, Sam discovers the Land of Luck and embarks on a quest that could change her luck forever.
Simon Pegg (Mission: Impossible, Ice Age, Star Trek Beyond) will provide the voice for Bob, a lucky black cat from the Land of Luck, where the Captain, voiced by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winner Whoopi Goldberg, stands guard as the head of security. Bob becomes Sam’s partner in the quest to find a lucky penny in hopes of preserving his lucky life.
Also joining is Flula Borg (The Suicide Squad, Pitch Perfect, Trolls World Tour), who will provide the voice for Jeff the Unicorn, a larger-than-life facilities engineer who maintains the magical machine that distributes good and bad luck to the human world and who dreams of one day being reunited with his one true love, the CEO of Good Luck, the Dragon, voiced by two-time Academy Award winner Jane Fonda.
Lil Rel Howery (Free Guy, Vacation Friends, Judas and the Black Messiah) will provide the voice for Marv, the owner of the Flowers & More store where Sam gets her first job, who is upbeat, sharply dressed, and always ready with an encouraging word for unlucky Sam.
Additional cast members include Colin O’Donoghue (Once Upon a Time, The Right Stuff, The Rite), who will provide the voice for Gerry, a loyal leprechaun who adores his job working with Bob at Arrivals and Departures in the Land of Good Luck and is the first to volunteer for any task, bringing good cheer wherever he goes.
John Ratzenberger (Cheers, The Empire Strikes Back, A Bridge Too Far) will provide the voice for Rootie, a bad luck root and the self-appointed mayor of Bad Luck, who runs The Lucky Shot, the one and only Bad Luck watering hole, where he specializes in free advice. Adelynn Spoon (Watchmen) will provide the voice for Hazel, Sam’s roommate and best friend at the Summerland Home for Girls, who is five years old and believes that she’ll be adopted by her forever family just as soon as she finds a real lucky penny, which Sam is determined to find for her.
The magical and adventurous animated film is helmed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Peggy Holmes (The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning), from an original screenplay written by Kiel Murray (Raya and the Last Dragon, Cars 3, Cars), Jon Aibel, and Glenn Berger (Kung Fu Panda 2, Trolls).
John Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and David Eisenmann are producing for Skydance Animation.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills to cover the latest streaming, movie, TV, and game news.