Picture: Netflix
Based on the novel by Kōtarō Isaka, Goodbye Earth is the highly anticipated Netflix Original K-drama sci-fi series due out globally on April 26th, 2024.
Goodbye Earth is an upcoming South Korean Netflix Original dystopian drama directed by Kim Jin-Min and written by screenwriter Jung Sung Joo. It’s the first time since 2015 that Jung Sung Joo had written a screenplay when she wrote the drama Heard It Through the Grapevine. She is also responsible for writing the dramas Secret Love Affair, Roses and Bean Sprout, and A Wife’s Credentials.
The novel the series adapts The Fool At the End of the World
by Kōtarō Isaka. Other works from Isaka that have been adapted from the author include the Brat Pitt movie Bullet Train. Netflix is also adapting another novel from Kōtarō Isaka, with news coming out in November 2022 that Anne Hathaway and Selma Hayek Pinault were on board to star in a feature film, Seesaw Monster.
What can you expect from the new series? Here’s a translated full synopsis courtesy of Netflix:
“After reports that an asteroid will collide with Earth, and the Korean Peninsula will be in the collision zone, martial law is declared in Korea, and chaos ensues. The conflict between those who believe in the asteroid collision and those who doubt it, criminals escaping from prison, the instigation of charlatans, and the rush for asylum in safe zones lead to a world plunged into disorder. In this chaotic world, a middle school teacher, ‘Sekyung’ (played by Ahn Eun-jin), harbors an indelible trauma after the death of a student who was kidnapped during a protest.
200 days before the predicted apocalypse, yet people continue to live their lives.
‘Sekyung’, her friends, and the people of Ungcheon city struggle for the sake of the children’s tomorrow, even amidst such adversity…
Today and tomorrow, until the end, we are waiting for the apocalypse together.”
When is Goodbye Earth coming to Netflix?
Originally expected to land sometime in late 2023, we now know the series will drop onto the service globally on April 26th, 2024, at 8 AM GMT.
Season 1 of the show will consist of 12 episodes in total.
Poster for Goodbye Earth – Picture: Netflix
The show was first announced in January 2022, and casting and filming began around the summer.
On September 5th, 2022, a Tweet from a K-Drama fan account posted a screenshot from Instagram revealing that filming had ended on Goodbye Earth.
Who are the cast members of Goodbye Earth?
Ahn Eun Jin will be recognizable to some Netflix subscribers as the actress previously starred in a supporting role in Hospital Playlist as Chu Min Ha, and a minor role in both seasons of Kingdom as the wife of Moo Young, the personal guard of the Crown Prince.
Ahn Eun Jin in Hospital Playlist (left) and Kingdom (right)
Yoo Ah-in was originally due to star in the series, and while he did film throughout production, it’s been reported that he was subsequently edited out in post-production. The controversial decision to do this was because he was arrested on drug charges in March 2023. That said, Netflix still continues to list the actor in the media center for the show.
The actor made his first appearance in a drama in 4 years when he starred as Jung Jin Soo in Hellbound. The actor’s latest project will also be with Netflix as he stars in Goodbye Earth in the role of Ha Yoon Sang.
Yoo Ah-In as Jung Jin Soo in Hellbound (right)
Jeon Sung Woo previously starred in the Korean adaptation of Designated Survivor, but his role as Priest Damiano will be his first on Netflix in almost four years.
Jeon Sung Woo in Designated Survivor: 60 Days (right)
Kim Yoon Hye has also only starred in one Netflix Original when she previously had a supporting role in the incredibly popular Vincenzo as Seo Mi Ro.
Kim Yoon Hye in Vincenzo (right)
Below are the confirmed cast members so far for Goodbye Earth:
| Role | Cast Member |
|---|---|
| Jin Se Kyung | Ahn Eun Jin |
| Priest Damiano / Woo Sung Jae | Jeon Sung Woo |
| Kang In Ah | Kim Yoon Hye |
| TBA | Seo Ye Hwa |
This article will be updated right through to the release of the show as we’re still waiting on a trailer and other assets.
Note: Contains contributions from Kasey Moore.
Are you looking forward to the release of Goodbye Earth on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!