A Shop for Killers (Korean: 킬러들의 쇼핑몰) is a 2024 South Korean television series co-created, co-written and co-directed by Lee Kwon, and starring Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun. Based on a novel of the same Korean title by Kang Ji-young, the story is about a girl who lost her parents and grew up in the hands of her uncle who runs a suspicious online shop. The first season was released on Disney+ from January 17 to February 7, 2024. It is also available for streaming on Hulu in the United States. A second season has been confirmed in production.
Plot
The story revolves around Jeong Ji-an, a young woman whose seemingly ordinary life changes dramatically after her uncle, Jeong Jin-man, dies unexpectedly.
Ji-an was raised by her uncle after her parents died when she was very young. He owned a seemingly ordinary shopping mall, but Ji-an soon discovers a dark secret: the mall was actually a front for a clandestine operation that provided weapons and equipment to professional killers.
With her uncle gone, Ji-an unwittingly inherits his dangerous legacy. She is pursued by a variety of individuals, including rival killers, powerful organizations, and even law enforcement, all of whom want to capitalize on her uncle's connections and the resources he left behind.
Forced to confront the truth about her uncle's past, Ji-an must navigate this treacherous world. She struggles with the moral ramifications of her uncle's actions while also attempting to survive and protect herself from the deadly threats that now surround her.
"Listen Up, Jian" Transliteration: "Jal deul-eo, Jeong Ji-an" (Korean: 잘 들어, 정지안)
Lee Kwon & Noh Kyu-yeob
Ji Ho-jin & Lee Kwon
February 7, 2024 (2024-02-07)
Production
Development
A Shop for Killers was developed under the working titleThe Killers' Shopping Mall,[14] is co-directed by Lee Kwon and Noh Kyu-yeop, co-written by Ji Ho-jin and Lee, co-produced by Merrychristmas (a subsidiary of A2Z Entertainment) and Project Onion, and provided by The Walt Disney Company Korea [ko].[15]
In February 2024, director Lee Kwon said in an interview that they were closely discussing the possibility to produce a second season.[16] Ten months later, Disney+ confirmed the production of the series' second season.[17]
Casting
In November 2022, Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun were reportedly cast for the series which will be released on a global OTT platform.[18] Lee and Kim were announced in the lead roles in May 2023.[2] In December 2023, Seo Hyun-woo, Jo Han-sun, Park Ji-bin, Geum Hae-na, and Kim Min [ko] were revealed to play various roles in the series.[19]
Filming
Principal photography for the first season took place between January and June 2023.[20] The second season will begin filming in April 2025.[17]
Original soundtrack
On January 26, 2024, it was announced that music director Primary participated for the scoring of A Shop for Killers. In addition, Primary said that he used instruments that can highlight each character's unique charm in the right place. To express the rough and complete appearance of Jin-man, he used masculine guitar sounds, then for Ji-an, who is not yet fully mature, he used an analog synthesizer to bring out an unrefined feeling, and lastly for Bale, the villain of the series, emphasized the character's extremely evil appearance with the dull tone of the cello.[21]
Singles from A Shop For Killers (Original Soundtrack)
"How Can I Be Late" Released: February 16, 2024
The soundtrack album of A Shop for Killers was released on February 16, 2024; it contains all of the singles and background tracks from the series.[22]
A Shop for Killers was released worldwide on Disney+ on January 17, 2024.[2][23] It was also released on Hulu in the United States.[24]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 5 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10.[25] Joel Keller of Decider stated that the series "keeps things pretty straightforward to start, which leaves a lot of room for some good action scenes and some exploration of its two main characters".[26] Sayantan Gayen of Comic Book Resources wrote that it "still has miles to go" but "how things will line up, the first two episodes successfully make viewers anxious to get their hands on the next installment".[27] Sarah Musnicky of But Why Tho? gave a score of 7.5 out of 10 and described the series as "action-packed, featuring characters that will sway you, piss you off, and lure you in".[28] Writing for South China Morning Post, Pierce Conran gave the series a score of 3 out of 5 and stated that the series "seduced us with its stylish opening", but "after getting into and making it all the way to the end, some viewers may now be feeling buyer's remorse".[29] Puah Ziwei of NME opined it "a thrilling K-drama set in a mysterious murder mystery", however, "the series has logical inconsistencies and plot holes, such as Ji-an's change of name and Jin-man's peculiar possessions and behaviors".[30]
Viewership
Disney+ announced that the series was the most viewed local original on the platform in the Asia Pacific region[note 1] in 2024,[31] until it was surpassed by Light Shop in December.[32]
Accolades
Awards and nominations
Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee(s) of the award, and the result of the nomination
^Asia Pacific region includes Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines.
References
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstu 머더헬프 [Murthehelp]. A Shop for Killers. Episode 1 (in Korean). January 17, 2024. Disney+.
^ abcdKim, Ji-woo (May 2, 2023). '살인자의 쇼핑몰' 이동욱·김혜준 캐스팅[공식] ['The Murderer's Shopping Mall' Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun casting [Official]] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024 – via Naver.
^Lee, Kyung-ho (January 18, 2024). '킬러들의 쇼핑몰' 이동욱, 기대를 확신으로 만든 흡입력 ['The Killer's Shopping Mall' Lee Dong-wook's Suction Power Makes Expectations Confident] (in Korean). Star News. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024 – via Naver.
^ ab 쇼핑몰 [The Shopping Mall]. A Shop for Killers. Episode 4 (in Korean). January 24, 2024. Disney+.
^Jang, Da-hee (January 4, 2024). '킬러들의 쇼핑몰' 서현우, 반박불가 연기력+압도하는 비주얼 ['The Killers' Shopping Mall' Seo Hyun-woo, irrefutable acting skills + overwhelming visuals] (in Korean). iMBC. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Naver.
^Jang, Soo-jung (January 5, 2024). '킬러들의 쇼핑몰' 조한선, 악역 변신...이동욱과 팽팽한 긴장감 ['The Killers' Shopping Mall' Jo Han-sun transforms into a villain...Tension with Lee Dong-wook] (in Korean). Dailian [ko]. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via Naver.
^ abcdJang, Da-hee (January 9, 2024). '킬러들의 쇼핑몰' 감독 "박지빈→김민=원픽 배우들" 자부 ['The Killers' Shopping Mall' Director "Park Ji-bin→Kim Min=One-Pick Actors" Proud] (in Korean). iMBC. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, Young-sik (February 13, 2024). [인터뷰] 감독 이권, "정진만의 과거를 '시즌 2'에서 풀고 싶습니다" 디즈니+ '킬러들의 쇼핑몰' [[Interview] Director Lee Kwon, "I want to unravel Jeong Jin-man's past in 'Season 2'" Disney+ 'The Killers' Shopping Mall']. Within News (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
^Ahn, Byung-gil (February 2, 2024). '킬러들의 쇼핑몰' 혼다 박정우가 다시 떴다 ['The Killers' Shopping Mall' Honda Park Jeong-woo is back again] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024 – via Naver.
^Park, Jung-sun (January 23, 2024). 신예 정이헌, 디즈니+ '킬러들의 쇼핑몰' 출연 [Newcomer Jung Yi-heon appear on Disney+'s 'The Killer's Shopping Mall'] (in Korean). JTBC. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, Sang-hwa (January 20, 2024). '킬러들의 쇼핑몰' 파격 전개...디즈니플러스 또 대박 날까 ['The Killers' Shopping mall' shocking development...Will Disney+ be a big hit again] (in Korean). OhmyNews. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024 – via Naver.
^ abJang, Min-soo (February 9, 2024). 파신, 민혜→양말삼촌, 브라더...'킬러들의 쇼핑몰' 빛낸 새 얼굴들 [Pasin, Minhye→Uncle Socks, Brother...New faces that shine in 'The Killers' Shopping Mall'] (in Korean). MHN Sports. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024 – via Naver.
^Ahn, Byung-gil (February 5, 2024). '킬러들의 쇼핑몰' 박상원, 굵고 짧게 ['The Killers' Shopping mall' Park Sang-won, thick and short] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024 – via Naver.
^Lee, Chang-gyu (May 2, 2023). 디즈니+ '살인자의 쇼핑몰', 이동욱X김혜준 호흡...2024년 공개 [Disney+ 'The Killers' Shopping Mall', Lee Dong-wook X Kim Hye-jun's Breathing...Released in 2024] (in Korean). Xports News. Retrieved January 1, 2025 – via Naver.
^Ha, Soo-jung (December 14, 2023). 이동욱 '킬러들의 쇼핑몰', 새해 디즈니+ 첫 포문 1월 17일 공개 [공식] [Lee Dong Wook's 'The Killers' Shopping Mall' Premieres on New Year's Disney+ on January 17 [Official]] (in Korean). OSEN [ko]. Archived from the original on January 2, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via Naver.
^Choi, Ha-na (February 9, 2024). '킬러들의 쇼핑몰' 이권 감독, 웰메이드엔 이유가 있다 [인터뷰] [Director Lee Kwon of 'The Killers' Shopping Mall', There's a Reason Why Its Well-made [Interview]] (in Korean). TV Daily. Retrieved January 1, 2025 – via Nate.
^ abLee, Seung-hun (December 31, 2024). [단독]이동욱 '킬러들의 쇼핑몰' 시즌2 제작 확정..내년 4월 첫 촬영 [[Exclusive] Lee Dong-wook's 'The Killers' Shopping Mall' Season 2 Production Confirmed..First Filming in April Next Year] (in Korean). Star News. Retrieved January 1, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, No-eul (November 25, 2022). [단독]이동욱·김혜준, 삼촌-조카된다..'살인자의 쇼핑몰' 출연 [[Exclusive] Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun become uncle and nephew...Appearance in 'The Killers' Shopping Mall'] (in Korean). Star News. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via Naver.
^Jung, Hee-yeon (December 14, 2023). 이동욱X서현우 '킬러들의 쇼핑몰' 2024년 1월 17일 디즈니+ 공개 [공식] [Lee Dong-wook X Seo Hyun-woo 'Shopping Mall of Killers' Coming to Disney+ on January 17, 2024 [Official]] (in Korean). Sports Dong-a. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023 – via Naver.
^Nam, Seung-hyun (January 3, 2023). "전북 전주서 찍으면 대박"...수리남·헌트 이은 기대작은? ["If we film in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, it’ll be a hit"...What's the next anticipated film after Suriname and Hunt?] (in Korean). No Cut News. Retrieved January 1, 2025 – via Naver.
^Lee, Yoo-min (February 16, 2024). '킬러들의 쇼핑몰' 화룡점정 찍은 OST 발매 ['The Killers' Shopping Mall' Finishing Touch OST Released] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Naver.
^Park, Jung-sun (December 14, 2023). 이동욱·김혜준 '킬러들의 쇼핑몰', 1월 17일 디즈니+ 공개 [Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun's 'The Killers' Shopping Mall' to be released on Disney+ on January 17th] (in Korean). JTBC. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via Naver.
^Moon, Ji-yeon (June 24, 2024). [공식] '무빙'·'SNL코리아' 최다 노미..제3회 청룡시리즈어워즈 후보 격돌 [[Official] 'Moving' and 'SNL Korea' most nominated..Candidates clash for the 3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024 – via Naver.
^Park, Hyun-min (July 20, 2024). '무빙' 대상→신인상..3관왕! 임시완·박보영 남녀주연상 [제3회 청룡시리즈어워즈] | 하퍼스 바자 코리아 ['Moving' Grand Prize → Best Newcomer... Triple Crown! Im Si-wan and Park Bo-young Best Male and Female Leading Actor [3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards]]. Harper's Bazaar (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
