The Silent Sea - What We Know So Far

A new futuristic sci-fi thriller set in space is making its way to Netflix, set to premiere next month, and it looks like the eerie mystery drama will surely satisfy fans of space narratives and sci-fi alike. The South Korean series is based on the short film, "The Sea of Tranquility," which was written and directed by Choi Hang-yong, who will also be directing the new series. The series is the director's first credit on IMDb, with his short film having been his debut as a director and writer.

The eight episodes of "The Silent Sea" were written by Park Eun-kyo, whose previous writing credits include 2009's "Mother" and 2018's "The Great Battle" (via IMDB). Additionally, prominent South Korean actor Jung Woo-sung ("Asura," "A Moment to Remember") is set to produce "The Silent Sea," in what is just his second producer credit following the 2016 film "Remember You," in which he also starred (via IMDb).

Netflix announced the new series back in 2019, teasing a plot revolving around a "precarious future" of Earth, in which a team of scientists must embark on a mission to the moon to save the planet. Now the streamer has released the first trailer, giving viewers a peek into what they can expect from the upcoming series. Here's everything we know so far about "The Silent Sea."

If "The Silent Sea" has caught your attention so far, you're likely wondering when the new series will be available to watch. Well, as is revealed in the trailer, "The Silent Sea" will be released in its entirety on Netflix on December 24, 2021. With this release date, the sci-fi thriller series will be available right in time to binge watch over the holidays (if Christmas-themed films and shows are not your cup of tea).

The recently released minute and a half trailer is described as a teaser, meaning that we can likely expect at least one more trailer for the series before it premieres next month. Recently, Korean dramas have become extremely popular on the streaming platform, with past hits being "Crash Landing on You" and "Sweet Home" — and of course, "Squid Game" — while a new series, "Hellbound," just came out on November 19, 2021. The premiere of "The Silent Sea" comes seven years after the short film, "The Sea of Tranquility," premiered at the Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival in 2014 (via Netflix).

With the series taking place on a space mission, the main cast of "The Silent Sea" is relatively small and mostly consists of those making up the main mission crew: actors Gong Yoo, Bae Doona, and Lee Joon. Yoo, who recently cameoed in two episodes of Netflix's ultra popular "Squid Game," has over 20 acting credits to his name, including 2021's "Seobok" and the 2016 series "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" (via IMDb).

Doona has also starred in several big Netflix Original TV shows in recent years, including "Stranger" and "Kingdom," as well as the English-language "Sense8," which ran from 2015 to 2018, after which it was cancelled. The third cast member, Joon, has also appeared in a string of recent shows, including "Father is Strange" in 2017 and "Woman with a Suitcase" in 2016. Additionally, a supporting role is played by Heo Sung-tae, who many will recognize from his prominent role in "Squid Game," portraying Jang Deok-su. He also appeared in other recent series such as 2021's "Beyond Evil" and 2019's "Psychopath Diary."

According to Netflix's announcement from late 2020, "The Silent Sea" is "set in a future Earth that has undergone desertification." To try to save Earth, a group of scientists — exploration leader Han Yoon-jae (Gong Yoo), astrobiologist Doctor Song Ji-an (Bae Doona) and engineer Captain Ryoo Tae-seok (Lee Joon) — must embark on a mission to the moon in search of "a mysterious sample from an abandoned research station" called Balhae Base. Heo Sung-tae, in his supporting role, plays Kim Jae-sun, the chief of Resource Group of Aviation Administration (via Digital Spy).

The description of the teaser trailer on Netflix Asia's YouTube provides a bit more detail into the plot, revealing that the mission has just a 10% chance of survival, which rapidly ups the stakes, and that "one by one, crew members end up dead." We can't wait to see the thrilling and eerie events of "The Silent Sea" play out when the new sci-fi series premieres next month on Netflix.