EXO's D.O. Could Get Trapped With Zombies in 'We Are the Zombies' — And Cha Eun-woo Just Landed a 'Bon Appétit' Spin-Off Offer

K-Drama Casting News Just Got Spicy: Zombies, Royal Kitchens, and Two of K-pop's Biggest Names

Fresh casting reports dropped on August 22, and honestly? This might be the most interesting K-drama lineup rumor mill we've seen all month. Two projects are making waves: a zombie survival series called We Are the Zombies that's eyeing Doh Kyung-soo (D.O.) of EXO, and Seorabeol Knife, a spin-off of the smash hit Bon Appétit, Your Majesty that could star everyone's favorite idol-actor, Cha Eun-woo of ASTRO. Nothing is signed yet, but the offers alone are enough to get fans theorizing.

'We Are the Zombies': Doh Kyung-soo and Kim Do-yeon vs. the Undead

Per reports from South China Morning Post's K-drama beat, Doh Kyung-soo — better known as D.O. from EXO — and actress-singer Kim Do-yeon (formerly of I.O.I and Weki Meki) are both in talks for We Are the Zombies. Here's the twist: instead of the usual run-and-survive formula, the series is set inside Seoul Tower, a fictional shopping center where survivors who couldn't escape in time have to figure out how to coexist with the undead. Yes, you read that right — coexist. That premise alone sounds like a refreshing break from standard zombie fare.

Doh would play survivor Kim In-jong, while Kim Do-yeon is up for Kim So-young. D.O. has quietly become one of the most reliable idol-turned-actor success stories out there, recently appearing in Disney+'s action-thriller The Manipulated alongside Ji Chang-wook. Meanwhile, Kim Do-yeon has been building serious indie cred as the title character in Dora, directed by acclaimed filmmaker July Jung, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight in May. If both sign on, this cast suddenly gets very interesting.

'Seorabeol Knife': Cha Eun-woo Enters the 'Bon Appétit' Universe

Over on the period drama side, Cha Eun-woo has reportedly been offered the leading role in Seorabeol Knife, a spin-off of 2025's culinary time-travel hit Bon Appétit, Your Majesty. The original drama — starring Im Yoon-ah and Lee Chae-min — peaked at a whopping 17.1% viewership rating, making it one of the biggest Korean broadcasts of its year. Neither original lead is expected to return, but the new story unfolds in the same universe, and the project shares a director with the original: Jang Tae-yoo, the man behind the global phenomenon My Love from the Star.

For Cha Eun-woo, this would be another major step in an already stacked acting resume — he debuted as a teenager in the 2014 film My Brilliant Life and broke big with True Beauty in 2021, followed by Netflix's The Wonderfools. A lead role in a franchise follow-up to a 17%-rated drama? That's the kind of offer you don't turn down lightly.

The Bottom Line

Neither deal is official yet — these are still offers under consideration, so temper your expectations accordingly. But if both projects move forward as planned, K-drama fans are eating good: a zombie series with an actual fresh angle, plus a return to one of the most beloved period-drama worlds in recent memory. Keep your watchlists ready, because once contracts are signed, these will shoot straight to the top of every most-anticipated list.