Premiering September 5 on SBS, the new Friday-Saturday crime thriller centers on an unlikely alliance between a serial-killer mother and her detective son. Ko Hyun-jung (as Jung I-shin) and Jang Dong-yoon (as Cha Soo-yeol) tease bold transformations and a crackling mother-son dynamic, positioning "The Mantis" as a genre standout set to dominate fall TV.
Anticipation is especially high as this marks Lee’s TV debut. Beyond "12.12: The Day," which drew 13.12 million moviegoers, his writing credits include "Black House," "Private Eye," and "Flu," and adaptations of "Confession of Murder," "The Chase," "The Roundup," and "Hunt." With that track record, all eyes are on what he delivers for the small screen.
In an interview released on the 27th, Lee shared how he came aboard the project, what he focused on in the writers’ room, and the story’s appeal and message.
“On the surface, it’s the story of a mother and son battling to catch a serial killer,” he explains. “More essentially, it’s about what happens when you come to hate the person closest to you―family―and how people work to understand and heal each other.”
He recalls first encountering the original French series when someone suggested adapting it as a film. “As a feature, I thought it would be tough in terms of concept and scope, though I enjoyed it a lot. Later the production company proposed making it as a drama. I gave it serious thought and decided it was worth doing.”
Approaching his first series, Lee leaned into what TV does best. “Because of runtime limits, films tend to tell stories in a compressed way, and I often felt constrained about digging deeply into character. Drama has fewer of those constraints. It was freeing―and fun―to explore different facets of a character’s charm and personality. TV also skews more toward character-driven storytelling than pure incident, so I focused heavily there.”
“The show packs strong thrills and suspense―fans of crime thrillers will have a blast,” he adds. “But it’s not just about genre fireworks. Just when your palms start to sweat, you’ll find warmth in the way wounded people communicate and heal. It’s chilling and moving―and, above all, a really entertaining ride.”
Lee Young-jong is bringing a drama that feels as cinematic as any film with "The Mantis: Original Sin." Expect nerve-shredding tension and resonant themes when it premieres Friday, September 5 at 9:50 p.m. on SBS, following "The Winning Try."
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)