Rumors of Kim Tae Ri’s Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born facing financial setback despite high ratings fly; fans react

Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born starring Kim Tae Ri is reportedly facing production troubles despite high viewership. Read on for more details.

By Hrishita Das

Published on Jan 29, 2025 | 08:43 PM IST | 54.7K

Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born poster: courtesy of tvN

Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born is a South Korean series starring Kim Tae Ri in the leading role. The story revolves around a girl who dreams of becoming a theater actress. Set in the 1950s, the show offers a unique take on portraying the hardships of a woman during that time. However, rumors have been circulating that despite the high viewership, the show was not able to recover production costs.

According to reports, Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born may have garnered impressive viewership, surpassing a 10% rating, but it still faced significant financial losses. Initially, Studio Dragon and the production team had agreed on a total production budget of 336 billion KRW, but costs soared due to the intricate efforts to depict historical scenes. Moreover, Kim Taeri, who portrayed the lead role, earned over 300 million KRW per episode matching the fee Kim Soo Hyun received for his role in Queen of Tears.

Although officials from CJ ENM and Studio Dragon claimed to have recouped the production costs, industry rumors suggest otherwise. Furthermore, the drama being released on Disney+ in the 12-episode format also proved less lucrative. It is also rumored that the streaming platform experienced significant losses from the drama.

Watch Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born trailer

With MBC now suing the production company over unlawful business practices, the financial strain is expected to deepen. The production team has accused tvN of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act by stealing its project and interfering in contract negotiations.

The story is adapted from the webtoon Jeong Nyeon, written by Seo Irae and illustrated by Namon. It is set in 1956, post-war Korea. The plot follows Jeong Nyeon, a young woman from Mokpo who has no money or formal education but is blessed with a natural talent for singing. Determined to make a name for herself, she dreams of joining a women’s traditional theater company and rising to fame.

Apart from Kim Tae Ri, other stars of the show include Shin Ye Eun, Ra Mi Ran, Jung Eun Chae, Kim Yoon Hye, Woo Davi, Hyun Seung Hee, Lee Se Young, Jung Ra El, Jo Ah Young, and more.