Actor Yoo Ah-in has faced scrutiny over his drug use scandal that led to his exit from many projects, but Netflix made a statement on his vigilant K-drama Goodbye Earth and its premiere date.
Yoo has been a notable actor in Korean entertainment for some time having hits like K-drama Hellbound, Secret Affair, #Alive, and Burning with Steven Yeun. But his career came to a standstill in 2023 when he was accused of illegal drug use with propofol.
The scandal garnered widespread attention as police investigated him. It led to results of the actor having tested positive for various drugs. He received public scrutiny and sympathy from fans but it led many of his upcoming projects and sponsors to drop him.
Goodbye Earth was one of his upcoming projects from Netflix that was in the air. Netflix recently addressed the K-drama’s supposed release date.
Goodbye Earth gets a premiere window
In a statement by Netflix, they will make an official announcement regarding the release date of Goodbye Earth and possibly Yoo Ah-in’s role in the K-drama.
According to Soompi, “At present, nothing has yet been decided. Once the release date has been decided, we will inform you through an official statement.”
Korean news outlets announced that the release of the K-drama is scheduled for April 26, 2024. The K-drama faced a delay from its initial 2023 release date because of Yoo’s drug scandal. Goodbye Earth narrates the story of a group of people living in a chaotic world before an impending apocalypse. A meteor is expected to obliterate Earth in 200 days.
Yoo plays one of the leading roles as Yoon Sang-eun, a researcher at a biotechnology research institute. The character is also the long-term lover of Jin Se-kyung (Ahn Eun-jin), a volunteer at Ungcheon City Hall.
Netflix Chooses Not to Edit Out Yoo Ah-In from ‘Goodbye Earth’ Amid Drug Scandal https://t.co/vSqVUzuyQc#YooAhin #GoodbyeEarth #유아인 #종말의바보 pic.twitter.com/B2p2fZWaTy
— pannatic (@pannatic) March 9, 2024
According to Pannatic on X/Twitter, Netflix has reportedly decided not to edit Yoo’s scenes out of the K-drama due to his character-heavy involvement in the storyline.
Goodbye Earth is not the first Netflix project Yoo has had to step away from. He was set to reprise his role as cult leader Jeong Jin-soo in Hellbound Season 2. But he was dropped from the role and replaced by actor Kim Sung-cheol.
Netflix also scheduled the premiere of The Match in 2023, a biopic about two real-life notable Go players, Cho Hun-hyun and Lee Chang-ho. Yoo starred alongside Lee Byung-hun but has been on hold indefinitely.
Netflix is set to release a long list of K-drama in 2024, whether Goodbye Earth will be included in the roster is unclear for now.