Wavve premieres 'Francesca Next Door' spin-off with Han Su-a, Kim Hyun-jin and Lee Seung-gyu
Wavve's original fantasy teen romance 'Francesca Next Door' (옆자리, 프란체스카), a high-school spin-off of the 2005 sitcom 'Hello, Francesca,' premieres November 6 at 11 a.m. KST with episodes 1 and 2.
The 'Hello, Francesca' universe is back at school. Wavve's original 'Francesca Next Door' premieres November 6 at 11 a.m. KST, with the first two episodes dropping together, per Wavve's newsroom and Diary Point.
The fantasy teen romance moves the vampire premise from a family sitcom into a high school. Han Su-a plays Romanian transfer student Pi Na-young, Kim Hyun-jin plays model class president and medical-school hopeful Jang Woo-joo, and Lee Seung-gyu plays another vampire hiding at the school, Yu Hyeol.
Diary Point says original stars Shim Hye-jin, Park Seul-gi and Park Hee-jin return for special appearances as Francesca, Sophia and Ahn Seong-daek, and that Wavve is also releasing a 4K-upscaled version of the 2005 sitcom on the same day.
Ahead of launch, Wavve published a written interview in which the new leads talked about binge-watching the original; Han Su-a said she aimed for a stubborn-but-soft 'black cat' vampire, while director Park Sang-woo told Diary Point the remake updates everyday details for a smartphone-era campus.
Confirmed
- Wavve's content newsroom and Diary Point report that 'Francesca Next Door' premieres exclusively on Wavve on November 6 at 11 a.m. KST, with episodes 1–2 available on launch day.
- Wavve describes the series as a high-school spin-off of MBC sitcom 'Hello, Francesca,' produced by MBC and CAC Corporation, starring Han Su-a as vampire transfer student Pi Na-young, Kim Hyun-jin as class president Jang Woo-joo, and Lee Seung-gyu as vampire Yu Hyeol.
- Diary Point reports original cast members Shim Hye-jin (Francesca), Park Seul-gi (Sophia) and Park Hee-jin (Ahn Seong-daek) make special appearances, and that a 4K-upscaled version of the original sitcom launches alongside the new series.
Reported by other outlets
- In Wavve's written interview published November 3, the three leads said they rewatched the original sitcom to prepare; Han Su-a said the director asked for a 'black cat' vibe for her vampire character.
- Diary Point quotes director Park Sang-woo on updating the world for today, including vampires using smartphones and eating school cafeteria chicken nuggets.
Analysis
2FC NEWSROOM analysis: Pairing a nostalgia cast cameo with a high-school love triangle is a clear Wavve play for both original fans and a younger romance audience.