Director Lee Joon-ik's short drama 'Dad's Home Cooking' to hit theaters in a first for the format

Director Lee Joon-ik's debut short drama "Abeoji-ui Jibap (Dad's Home Cooking)" is heading to theaters — marking the first time a short drama has received a theatrical release.

Lezhin Snack announced Thursday that the original short drama will open exclusively at Lotte Cinema on Sept. 9 in a vertical-screen cinema format.

"Building on its short runtime and vertical-screen format, the show will bring short dramas — long consumed on mobile — to the big screen, offering audiences a distinctly new viewing experience," the company said.

Based on a webtoon of the same name by cartoonist Gorita published on Lezhin Comics, the series follows Ha-eung, a father who has eaten only home-cooked meals three times a day for 40 years. When his wife Sun-ae suddenly loses her ability to cook, he must prepare a meal for the first time in his life — with plenty of comic mishaps along the way.

The cast includes Jung Jin-young, Lee Jung-eun and Byun Yo-han, along with Park Ji-yeon, Kang Hyung-seok, Park Jung-yoon, Park Se-jun and Park Ji-yoon, bringing a realistic and vivid portrait of family life to the screen.

Jung plays Ha-eung, a father who has ruled the household as an absolute authority for 40 years — a tyrant at the dinner table — but now faces the kitchen for the very first time. Lee portrays Sun-ae, the wife who long prepared three meals a day for the family before abruptly handing over the kitchen to her husband. Byun takes on the role of Myeong-bok, the couple's eldest son.

"Within the vertical frame, you will be able to observe the deep corners of each character with great clarity," director Lee said. "I made sure not to lose what was good about the original work, while allowing the story to go deeper."

Lee also spoke about his decision to make a short drama at a "mega talk" event for the series held at the Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival on July 30. "If it transcends the boundaries of format — short-form, series, film — and becomes a single worthwhile story, what difference does it make whether it's a short-form or a movie?" he said. He added that he found the experience refreshing: "Watching a two-hour-and-20-minute film can be tiring, but today was not like that."

A poster released alongside the theatrical announcement shows Ha-eung at the center of a dining table, surrounded by Sun-ae, Myeong-bok and the rest of the family gathered before a modest spread of home-cooked food, conveying a warm and lively atmosphere. A trailer released at the same time follows Ha-eung's first foray into his wife's kitchen and his life's first attempt at cooking.

After its theatrical run, "Abeoji-ui Jibap" will be released sequentially on the short drama platform Lezhin Snack.