Jo Bo Ah finally addresses shelved drama Knock-Off, admits fear of hurting Kim Soo Hyun: ‘Can't help but…'

Pink Villa

19-05-2025

Actress Jo Bo Ah has finally spoken out about the much-discussed Disney+ drama Knock-Off. The series has remained shelved indefinitely due to mounting controversies surrounding her co-star Kim Soo Hyun.
The drama, once considered a flagship production for the streaming platform, has been absent from all recent promotional announcements. This sparked speculation about its cancellation. Now, Jo Bo Ah has addressed the topic for the first time publicly during a press interview for her new Netflix drama Dear Hongrang.
Dear Hongrang is a period melodrama where she stars as a noblewoman with a tragic love story. As she promoted it, Jo Bo Ah was asked to comment on the status of Knock-Off, the big-budget thriller that had generated immense buzz since its initial announcement. While she acknowledged the public's curiosity, the actress chose a cautious yet heartfelt approach when discussing the stalled project.
As quoted by Koreaboo, 'I know that a lot of you are curious to know, but I really can't help but approach [talking about Knock-Off] with a lot of caution. Just because what I say could unintentionally hurt someone, I'd rather hold back on commenting,' Jo Bo Ah said.
She further added, 'I will say Knock-Off is a project where everyone involved poured a lot of energy and affection into it, and I believe that effort will be recognized someday and lead to a good outcome.' Her remarks, though subtle, were enough to confirm that the uncertainty surrounding Knock-Off has been just as difficult for the cast and crew as it has been for fans awaiting its release.
Meanwhile, the series had drawn significant attention even before filming began due to its reportedly massive production cost. It was estimated at around 60 billion KRW (approximately 42 million USD). Touted as a high-stakes thriller with a star-studded cast, Knock-Off was originally expected to premiere in 2025. However, its fate became uncertain following actor Kim Soo Hyun 's involvement in a wave of controversies linked to the late actress Kim Sae Ron.
Unconfirmed reports have estimated that Kim Soo Hyun's appearance fee for Knock-Off was around 9 billion KRW (roughly 6.3 million USD). If the drama remains unreleased, sources suggest his penalty could surpass 100 million KRW. However, neither the production team nor Disney+ has confirmed any figures or made an official statement on whether the project has been scrapped permanently.