The 8 Show

The 8 Show
Promotional poster
Hangul	더 에이트 쇼
Revised Romanization	Deo e-iteu syo
McCune–Reischauer	Tŏ eit'ŭ syo
Genre	Dark comedy Thriller
Based on	Money Game & Pie Game by Bae Jin-soo
Written by	Han Jae-rim
Directed by	Han Jae-rim
Starring	Ryu Jun-yeol Chun Woo-hee Park Jeong-min Lee Yul-eum Park Hae-joon Lee Zoo-young Moon Jeong-hee Bae Seong-woo
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language	Korean
No. of episodes	8
Production
Production companies	Studio N Magnum Nine Lotte Cultureworks
Budget	₩24 billion
Original release
Network	Netflix
Release	May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)

The 8 Show (Korean: 더 에이트 쇼) is a 2024 South Korean dark comedy thriller television series written and directed by Han Jae-rim, and starring Ryu Jun-yeol, Chun Woo-hee, Park Jeong-min, Lee Yul-eum, Park Hae-joon, Lee Zoo-young, Moon Jeong-hee, and Bae Seong-woo. Based on the Naver webtoons Money Game and Pie Game by Bae Jin-soo, it depicts the story of eight participants continuing to cooperate and antagonize each other in an extreme setting where the game ends when a death occurs in a space where social infrastructure is cut off. It was released worldwide on Netflix on May 17, 2024.

Synopsis

Eight strangers are offered to participate in a game where they will be locked inside a building and earn a substantial amount of money for each minute the game continues. Each are sequestered at night in a different room on eight separate floors, during which they purchase all of their basic provisions at one hundred times their normal cost using their current prize earnings, while during the day they can use a portion of their remaining time to buy provisions for the group.

Initially, the eight people, opting to only be named based on their floor, work together to try to maximize the remaining game time and individual earnings while living with basic comfort. However, when they discover that the higher floors are earning significantly more money and have larger rooms than the lower floors, a power struggle erupts between the players, while at the same time they try to figure out the unclear means by which more time is added to the game clock.

Cast

• Ryu Jun-yeol as 3rd Floor / Jin-su
• Chun Woo-hee as 8th Floor / Se-ra
• Park Jeong-min as 7th Floor / Yoo Phillip
• Lee Yul-eum as 4th Floor / Kim Yang
• Park Hae-joon as 6th Floor
• Lee Zoo-young as 2nd Floor
• Moon Jeong-hee as 5th Floor
• Bae Seong-woo as 1st Floor

Episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally released
1	8		May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	"Episode 1"	Han Jae-rim	Han Jae-rim	May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
Jin-su arrives at a mysterious building. When he enters he has an option to play the game or take money and go back home. He decides to stay and chooses a card with three on it. He enters the game room and goes to his room. Once there a door opens and gives him a book with simple rules for the game as well as clothing. He soon sees that he gets 30,000 won per minute. Items can be bought but at a high rate. In the morning, he meets the other players. They all learn that the higher your room is, the more money you make. They also learn that Floor 8 received 12 meals and 12 waters which she used to take a bath. They devise a plan to share the food while trying to learn the hidden rules of the game.
2	"Episode 2"	Han Jae-rim	Han Jae-rim	May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
The episode begins showing how Floor 8 came to the game. After learning how to share the food, the team learns from Floor 8 that the stairs is the key to earning more time. After all eight run up and down the stairs, more time is given. They make a plan to divide the work into two teams so four run one day (and get two meals) and the other four rest (and get one meal). Floor 1 is not able to contribute due to his injury, so Floor 3 steps in for him. When they wake up the next day, they see that the time is almost out. They all run the stairs and Floor 4 has an epileptic seizure. Floor 2 is stopped by Floor 6 from making the call since the time will expire, but Floor 3 is able to make the call. The time jumps to 40 hours. Floor 7 realizes time is added because the fight was entertaining to whoever is watching them.
3	"Episode 3"	Han Jae-rim	Han Jae-rim	May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
Floor 7 is shown entering the game and trying to discover the format and what's happening. After learning the viewers want to be entertained, the group decides to do a talent show. Each act is awarded hours based on the level of entertainment. They also decide that they must know when the group wants to end the game. They let Floor 1 decide since he makes the least and he will stop once he has 1 billion won – 2 and a half months. After a successful talent show, the group decides that Floor 1 shouldn't keep the waste since they don't run anymore. The group then votes for Floor 8 to have a bathroom for all. But she refuses to comply and retaliates by sending empty food containers and empty water bottles.
4	"Episode 4"	Han Jae-rim	Han Jae-rim	May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
Floor 4 beginning is shown, and she originally chose 8 but changed her mind. Floor 8 gave meal kits to those who didn't vote against her. The others get food once Floor 7 apologizes for voting against her. Floor 8 has the group play the King Game. After a vicious fight between Floor 2 and Floor 6, the group decides that someone can disobey the King and the penalty will result in the person being tased. The game is changed where the loser of any pairing had to be tased. Floor 1 realizes the game is being rigged and Floor 7 catches Floor 4 manipulating the balls at night. Floor 8 loses the next day and is about to be tased until Floor 6 kicks floor 7 to stop the penalty. He then tases him.
5	"Episode 5"	Han Jae-rim	Han Jae-rim	May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
Floor 7 wakes up in Floor 8's room. He has switched sides. A new, tormented game is formed with Floors 4, 6, 7, and 8 demanding Floors 1, 2, 3, and 5 play violent games against each other. After playing a vicious Hide-and-seek game, FLoor 3, the winner is blindfolded and randomly swings a baseball bat to hit Floor 1, 2, and 4. He hits Floor 1. Then they are given nine coins and have to secretly write down how many they want. If the total goes over nine, they lose all the coins to buy food and water. Luckily, they do not go over nine. After winning 20 Questions, Floor 2 hits Floor 3 with the bat. They go over nine but refuse to go back to their rooms until 10 coins are offered and Floor 4 takes them. The lower floors develop a plan to revolt and enact it, but it fails. Until Floor 7 yells "hit him" and it's revealed the taser does not work. Floor 2 punches Floor 6 in the face and knocks him out.
6	"Episode 6"	Han Jae-rim	Han Jae-rim	May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
After subduing the top floors, the bottom floors tie them up, and Floor 1 begins beating Floor 6. The bottom floor takes the top floors back to their rooms to wait out the remaining time. The bottom floor group begins using Floor 8's money and belongings to have a great time while waiting out the remaining time on the clock. With mine hours left, the bottom floor group goes back to their rooms but is shocked to see the clock reset to 36 hours. Someone is torturing the tied-up people to add time to the clock. Floor 2 decides to lock everyone inside their rooms. The next day Floor 5 sees Floors 4 and 8 free from the captivity. She checks on Floor 6 but he is still tied up. Be convinces Floor 5 to stay and be with him and tells her that Floor 2 pulled out his toenails.
7	"Epsiode 7"	Han Jae-rim	Han Jae-rim	May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
After being set free, Floors 4, 6, and 8 capture the others and begin beating them up. Eventually, after tying them up, Floor 6 finds out who ripped his toenails out after Floor 8 buys the CCTV footage. Floor 1 was behind it all! Floor 6 goes to kill Floor 1 but is stopped when Floor 8 tasers him, but he falls down the stairs and appears to be paralyzed. Floor 8 ties up 1, 2, 4, and 7 and tortures them with sleep deprivation by tying them to chairs and forcing their eyes open while watching horrible videos. Floor 8 enjoys watching their pain from her room. Floor 1 shares with Floor 4 that she can change rooms for one billion won, which is why Floor 1 wanted to stay.
8	"Episode 8"	Han Jae-rim	Han Jae-rim	May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
Floor 1 has a daughter with a very rare disease and is kicked out of the hospital because he does not have the money to pay for her treatment, thus he enters the game. Floor 4 tells Floor 2, 3, and 7 about the ability to change rooms. They agree to help Floor 4. The next day, Floor 5 unties everyone. Floor 8 catches Floor 3 and 5 in Floor 6's room. Floor 4 hits her with a golf club and ties her up. Floor 6 is revealed to be a washed-up baseball player. Floor 5 gets revenge on Floor 6 by castrating him. Floor 1 uses the money to change rooms, but only receives instructions and the cost to change to a higher room (340 billion won)! Floor 1 demands everybody be tied up so the show can continue since he needs money. He performs a circus act; however, after bouncing high enough to grab a projector, it comes loose and he plummets down into the fire and dies. Floor 3 shoots out all the cameras to force the doors open, but Floor 1 dies. Floor 3 leaves the arena and goes through the curtain where he is greeted with applause and cheers via a stereo system. He opens a red envelope that tells him the winning money will be wired to his bank account.
—	"Epilogue"	Han Jae-rim	Han Jae-rim	May 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
Floor 3 is traumatized by Floor 1's death and deals with depression and thoughts of suicide. He, Floor 2, Floor 5, and Floor 4 go to the service for Floor 1. Floor 3 shares he met Floor 1's wife and learned that Floor 7 gave her enough money for her lifetime. Floor t6 sends a huge wreath. 8th floor was arrested for destroying an art gallery. She had to use all her prize money to restore the art gallery and to pay for the damaged artwork. The four leave and go their own way. Floor 7 takes his experience and writes a screenplay about it.

Production

Development

The series was developed under the working title Money Game (Korean: 머니게임), which was based on Naver Webtoon of the same name and its sequel, Pie Game, both written by Bae Jin-soo. Director Han Jae-rim, who directed The Face Reader (2013) and The King (2017), was looking for his next work after Emergency Declaration (2021) and joined hands with Studio N to direct the series. It is also expected that the series would release in an OTT platform. Naver Webtoon announced that Netflix has picked up the franchise under the new title The 8 Show.

Studio N and Magnum Nine managed the production while Lotte Cultureworks served as co-production and investor for the series.

It has a budget with over ₩24 billion (US$20.98 million) invested.

Casting

In December 2021, Ryu Jun-yeol and Bae Seong-woo were cast as the lead actors of the series. This would be Bae's return to small screen after self-reflecting on his DUI incident in November 2020.

In January 2022, Ryu and Bae along with Lee Ji-eun, Park Jeong-min, and Park Hae-joon has confirmed their appearances for the series.

In April 2022, Moon Jeong-hee, Lee Yul-eum, and Lee Zoo-young joined the series.

In May 2022, Lee Ji-eun left the series and was replaced by Chun Woo-hee.

Filming

Principal photography began in May 2022 and ended on December 23, 2022.

Release

Naver Webtoon announced that The 8 Show would be released worldwide on Netflix in 2024. Four months later, Netflix confirmed the release date of the series would be on May 17, 2024.

External links

• The 8 Show on Netflix
• The 8 Show at IMDb
• The 8 Show at HanCinema