Daniel Dae Kim is set to star in and executive produce an upcoming Amazon series based on the graphic novel “Butterfly.”
According to Variety, the show is being developed as a character-driven spy thriller and will be shot in South Korea, featuring both Korean and English dialogue.
The series revolves around protagonist David Jung, played by Kim, a former U.S. intelligence agent now living in South Korea who is pursued by a sociopathic agent assigned to kill him.
Originally published by Boom! Studios in 2015, “Butterfly,” created by Arash Amel, was written by Amel and Marguerite Bennett and illustrated by Antonio Fuso and Stefano Simeone.
Ken Woodruff and novelist Steph Cha are co-creating the series and will also serve as executive producers, while Kim will executive produce under his 3AD banner with John Cheng.
Kim discussed the significance of the project’s South Korean setting:
Ken and Steph have come up with a compelling series with truly unique characters, and having it be an international story set in Korea makes it even more meaningful to me. With Stephen Christy, BOOM! Studios and the Amel Company, we’ve assembled a stellar creative team, and 3AD is proud to have this be its inaugural effort with Amazon Studios.
If the series comes to fruition, this will be Kim’s first lead role in a multi-season scripted series and his first regular television role in nearly six years, as well as his first lead role since exiting the CBS reboot of “Hawaii Five-O” over pay inequality.
Last month, Kim’s 3AD banner helped launch the inaugural AAPI House at the Sundance Film Festival. He is slated to portray Fire Lord Ozai in the upcoming Netflix live-action version of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
