The Remarried Empress breaks Disney+ record with biggest local launch ever
This Korean fantasy romance is now the most-viewed local original premiere ever on Disney+ and Hulu, just three days after launching on November 3.
A divorced empress, a runaway slave and a prince next door. It turns out that's a winning recipe: The Remarried Empress has become the most-viewed local original premiere ever on Disney+ and Hulu worldwide.
Disney announced the record on Friday, just three days after the show's debut.
What happened?
The Korean romantic epic launched on Nov. 3 with four episodes. Disney says it is the biggest Korean title premiere ever in more than 50 markets, including the U.S., Britain, France, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
The record is based on views during the first three days. Disney did not share actual viewing figures.
The premiere was also moved forward by a day from its planned Nov. 4 date. Disney announced the change at a Seoul press conference as a thank-you to fans.
What is it about?
The story is set in a fantasy world of rival empires. Empress Navier (Shin Mina) sees her marriage to Emperor Sovieshu (Ju Jihoon) fall apart when he falls for Rashta (Lee Seyoung), a runaway slave.
Navier agrees to a divorce, but on one condition: she gets to marry Heinrey (Lee Jongsuk), the crown prince of a neighboring kingdom. That sets off a struggle over love, dignity and imperial power.
Cho Suwon, who directed Still 17 and Pinocchio, is behind the camera. Yeoh Geena and Hyun Choongyeol adapted the story for the screen.
Why is everyone talking about it?
The hype had been building for months. Preview screenings at the Busan International Film Festival sold out, and the trailer drew 13 million views across YouTube and social media in its first 48 hours, according to Disney. The Naver webtoon it is based on has almost 3 billion views.
The record also tops Disney's previous Korean hit. Moving, the 2023 superhero drama, was the streamer's most-watched Korean original and a huge draw in South Korea and across Asia. This time the success reaches further across Europe and the Americas.
What's next?
Two new episodes will arrive every Wednesday starting Nov. 11. The finale is scheduled for Nov. 25.
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The Remarried Empress Disney+ record launch · 2 updates
What happened before and after this story. Background events not previously covered were summarised by AI.
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