Jang Dong-yoon Shows Intense Transformation in SBS Crime Thriller “Queen Mantis”
SBS will premiere its new Friday-Saturday crime drama “Queen Mantis” on September 5 at 9:50 PM. The series follows a detective teaming up with his estranged mother, a convicted serial killer, to stop a string of copycat murders imitating crimes from over 20 years ago.
In the drama, Go Hyun-jung plays the infamous “Mantis Killer,” a woman who murdered five men, while Jang Dong-yoon takes on the role of her son — a determined detective chasing murderers at any cost. The production team said, “The protagonists of our drama are a serial killer mother and a detective son. It’s a crime thriller and a story about a family that can never be close. Jang Dong-yoon poured a lot of energy, both physically and emotionally, into this role. We ask for a lot of interest and support for his passionate performance.”
The latest still released on August 12 shows Jang Dong-yoon aiming a gun with sharp, unwavering eyes, signaling a break from the gentle image he’s shown before. The role required both high-intensity action scenes and complex emotional acting, and his work on set reportedly earned admiration from staff.
The drama is directed by Byun Young-joo (“Helpless”) and written by Lee Young-jong (“12.12: The Day”), promising a well-made, suspense-driven series.
Jang Dong-yoon debuted in the 2016 web drama “Women at a Game Company” and gained early attention in Bolbbalgan4’s “Galaxy” music video. He rose through dramas like “Solomon’s Perjury”, “School 2017”, “Drama Special Season 8: If We Were A Season“, “A Poem a Day”, and the film “Beautiful Days”, which earned him Best New Actor nominations at the Chunsa Film Art Awards and Grand Bell Awards. His leading role in “The Tale of Nokdu” (2019) brought him the Excellence Award at the KBS Drama Awards.
He later appeared in the film “Run Boy Run” and took on his first genre role in “Search” (2020) as a military dog handler, showing strong on-screen chemistry with the dog. Now, with “Queen Mantis”, viewers will see him in one of his most physically and emotionally demanding roles yet.
