The series "Climax", starring Ju Ji-hoon and Ha Ji-won, locks in a March 16 premiere and drops a teaser poster and first teaser trailer.
"Climax" follows prosecutor Bang Tae-seop, who dives into a cartel of power to reach the top of South Korea, and the fierce survival game among those orbiting him.
Ju Ji-hoon―fresh off a new career upswing with Disney+ original series "Blood Free" and "Light Shop" and Netflix’s "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call"―promises a peak of raw ambition erupting at the highest levels of power, raising expectations.
The teaser poster compresses one man’s soaring ambition toward Korea’s ultimate power―and the dangerous cracks waiting at the end―into a striking image. At the center of a crimson-drenched space, prosecutor “Bang Tae-seop” (Ju Ji-hoon) stands alone at the highest point, symbolizing a moment of choice where he’s wagered everything to reach the summit of power. Fractured walls and a severed structure hint at a man pushed from the center of power toward the edge of a cliff, signaling the start of a brutal survival fight. The tagline, “The higher he climbs, the deeper he falls. The more he craves, the closer to the peak,” foreshadows the life-defining "Climax" awaiting Bang Tae-seop and leaves a lingering impact.
The first teaser trailer races through razor-sharp ambitions and tightly wound relationships at the heart of Korea’s power machine, grabbing attention fast. As prosecutor “Bang Tae-seop” charging toward the pinnacle, Ju Ji-hoon leaves a mark with the line, “Do you know what it took to get here?” showing both the grit and madness of a man who clawed his way from the bottom to the top. Playing “Choo Sang-ah,” a former top star, Ha Ji-won adds dimension with, “I have no intention of stepping down,” underscoring her refusal to be pushed out of the center of power and desire.
Nana, transforming into “Hwang Jung-won,” Bang Tae-seop’s secret fixer and a key variable, teases a disruptive, clandestine presence with a bold look and tightly controlled performance. Oh Jung-se, as “Kwon Jong-wook,” exposes ambition tangled with greed and calculation amid a chaebol succession battle. And Cha Joo-young, as power broker “Lee Yang-mi,” spikes the tension with a single line―“It all starts here”―radiating the charisma of someone who orchestrates the entire board.
"Climax" is directed by Lee Ji-won, noted for the film "Miss Baek." Beyond standard crime and political drama, it reportedly delivers a high-caliber portrait of the tragic "Climax" born from human choices.
"Climax" premieres March 16 on Disney+, with new episodes every Monday and Tuesday.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)