THR reports that Disney+ has agreed to produce three shows for their streaming service that will star the Korean musical group BTS. For those who are used to getting up at all hours of the night to catch a fresh look of the seven pop stars, this is exciting news.
In the nine years since their debut, BTS—consisting of members Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin , Min Yoongi (Suga), Jung Hoseok (J-Hope), Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung (V), and Jeong Jungkook took the globe by storm. Particularly in the last few years, the band’s popularity has skyrocketed. They have gained the loyalty of their followers, by creating ridiculously catchy music and spreading a message of acceptance and self-love both on and off stage.
The band gave a series of sold-out concerts titled BTS Permission to Dance on Stage in Seoul, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas in late 2021 and early 2022. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, they hadn’t performed in front of an audience until their concerts in LA. Disney+ has transformed one of the LA performances from the first of their three BTS shows into a 4K concert film, allowing fans to rewatch the exquisite “Black Swan” choreography to their heart’s content or to replay some of the more dynamic group numbers in an effort to learn the moves for themselves.
The second series, In the Soop: Friendcation, is a spin-off of the well-liked reality show In the Soop, which followed the BTS lads as they took a break from city life to stay at a home in the country and take on various challenges. Band member V and four of his buddies, rapper Peakboy, Park Seo-jun (Itaewon Class), Choi Woo-shik (Parasite), and Park Hyung-sik (Happiness), will also appear in the Disney+ adaptation. The four-episode show will have its world premiere on South Korea’s JTBC on July 22, 2022, and then air on Disney+ two hours later.
The documentary BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star, which will be produced by Disney+, will explore the band’s ascent using historical film and songs from their back catalogue. Since the band is now on hiatus—though, as they have emphasised numerous times, they are not breaking up—it should be a bit of a trip down memory lane for fans. The series is anticipated to debut sometime in 2019 and will be unique to Disney+, unlike the other two shows coming to the streaming service.
The relationship between the major streaming service and BTS is just getting started. The CEO of BTS’s record label Hybe, Park Ji-won, expressed optimism that this signalled the start of a collaboration with his stable of musicians and the major brand. This new partnership with Disney+ seems like the ideal opportunity for fans to spend time with the boys while they’re on holiday, especially since BTS recently revealed they would be taking a break from recording together.