Bea-Alden casting for local adaptation of K-drama series ‘Start-Up’ a ‘confluence of coincidences’

Bea Alonzo

Bea Alonzo and Alden Richard’s pairing for GMA 7’s coming local adaptation of the hit Korean drama series “Start-Up” was a result of a confluence of coincidences.

When Bea transferred to the Kapuso network last year, executives already knew that they wanted the actress’ first project to be with Alden. And it so happened that they were also on a lookout for another Korean title to remake after “Descendants of the Sun (DOTS).”

“We were looking for material that would suit them. Both had previously expressed interest in doing an adaptation of a Korean show. And we were also thinking about Alden’s next project. These didn’t happen one after another—everything happened at the same,” GMA Entertainment Group senior vice president Lilybeth Rasonable said at a recent virtual conference.

Trying to make it big

Released on Netflix in 2020, “Start-Up” is set in the world of startup tech companies, where four aspiring entrepreneurs, Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy), Nam Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk), Han Ji-pyeong (Kim Seon-ho) and Won In-jae (Kang Han-na), try to make it big in the cutthroat industry.

Aside from giving a glimpse of the challenges that come with building a successful company from the ground up, the show also stirred impassioned online debates with its love triangle among Dal-mi, Do-san and Ji-pyeong.

“I think the stars aligned. That’s why ‘Start-Up’ happened, that’s why the Bea-Alden casting happened,” said the executive, who has yet to reveal which of the four main characters the two will play. “We have a grid with CJ E&M (Korean producer and rights owner) regarding the promotion, and we’re bound by it.”

Lilybeth Rasonable, GMA senior vice president for Entertainment Group

But while Bea and Alden were easy picks, casting the rest of the characters was a “long and tedious” process.

“There were arguments among production, writers, directors and executives because everyone had his or her own idea as to who the best choice would be to play the characters. Many people have watched the series. I myself love the show. So we wanted the casting to be as close to the original as possible,” Rasonable pointed out. “But at the end of the day, we have to arrive at a consensus.”

Speculations and rumors about the plans to adapt “Start-Up” started swirling late last year, keeping the executives on their feet.

Alden Richards

“We got tense when leaks started coming out. I don’t know where people were getting them. We got nervous because the owner of the franchise is strict and has a certain way of doing things that we have to follow—from the promotion to the way we make the announcements. Even Bea and Alden know that they can’t say anything until everything is confirmed,” Rasonable said.

Quality of production

Skeptics and critics will be inevitable, Rasonable said. But just like what happened with “Descendants of the Sun,” she believes that the quality of their production will ultimately speak for itself.

“Of course, there’s always a risk that you won’t satisfy all of the show’s fans. But we’re hoping to do a good job in remaking the show in a way that the Filipino audience will find relatable,” she said. “When ‘DOTS’ came out, there was also bashing and lots of comments. But when people finally saw it, the criticism stopped because they saw that we did our best. I think we did a good job.”

“I’m confident that with this experience backing us up, [‘Start-Up’] will be a good one for our Filipino audience,” she said. INQ