Shin Min-a Drops the Royal Gloves in Disney's Glossy New Drama The Remarried Empress
Disney released the first trailer for The Remarried Empress, starring Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, and Lee Jong-suk in a massive fantasy webtoon adaptation.
16 September 2026 · Reported first by The Hollywood Reporter

The key facts
- Disney released the first teaser trailer for the lavish drama The Remarried Empress.
- Shin Min-a stars as Empress Navier alongside Ju Ji-hoon.
- Lee Jong-suk and Lee Se-young co-star in the major royal fantasy series.
- The drama is based on a Naver Webtoon with nearly 3 billion global views.
- The plot centres on an empress who divorces her unfaithful husband and remarries his rival.
What just dropped in the new trailer
Disney just pulled back the curtain on one of the most anticipated K-dramas of the decade. The first teaser trailer for The Remarried Empress is out, and it looks dripping in silk, jewels, and pure malice.
Shin Min-a stars as Navier, the polished, stoic empress who gets pushed to the absolute brink. From the very first seconds, you get the vibe: lavish banquets, icy glares across golden ballrooms, and enough tension to slice bread.
Ju Ji-hoon brings his trademark swagger to the imperial court. Meanwhile, Lee Jong-suk and Lee Se-young round out a four-way royal mess that will have viewers screaming at their screens. The clip makes one thing crystal clear. Nobody is playing nice in this palace.
The webtoon story that broke the internet
If you have spent any time reading digital comics over the last few years, you already know the deal. The Remarried Empress started life on Naver Webtoon and became a runaway freight train.
It clocked almost three billion views across the globe. Three billion. That is not just popular. That is an obsession.
Fans fell hard for Navier's cold-blooded composure. When her husband decides to bring a scheming mistress into the palace and demands a split, she does not cry in a corner. She looks him in the eye and agrees to the divorce—on one condition. She gets permission to remarry the rival kingdom's dashing royal immediately.
It is the ultimate revenge fantasy. No moping. Just pure, calculated power moves.
An all-star cast ready for war
Casting this show was always going to be a nightmare because readers are fiercely protective of these characters. But Disney did not mess around with the budget or the roster.
Putting Shin Min-a in the lead role is inspired. She has played everything from romantic comedy leads to grounded small-town characters, but seeing her wear an ornate crown with an expression colder than winter ice hits completely different.
Pairing her with Ju Ji-hoon gives the whole production instant heavyweight credibility. He knows how to play complicated, slightly dangerous men with effortless charm. Add Lee Jong-suk and Lee Se-young into the mix, and you have four of the biggest names in Korean television sharing a single set.
The trailer hints at sharp dialogue, dramatic balcony confrontations, and gorgeous period costumes that clearly cost a fortune.
Why Disney is betting big on palace backstabbing
Let's be honest: streaming services are desperate for massive global hits right now. Disney has poured serious cash into Korean originals over the past two years, hunting for something with huge built-in appeal.
The Hollywood Reporter noted the massive scale of this release, and you can see every single won on the screen. The grand throne rooms, the candlelit corridors, and the sweeping orchestral score all scream prestige drama.
Audiences are burnt out on standard romances. They want chaos. They want betrayal. They want a wronged woman taking everything back piece by piece.
By adapting a story that already has billions of reads under its belt, the producers skipped the hard part of building an audience from scratch. Millions of fans already know every plot twist by heart. The only question was whether the live-action version could match the scale in their heads. Judging by the first look, it might actually top it.
What happens next
Now that the first teaser is out in the wild, the countdown begins for the full drop. Fans are already pulling apart every single frame to see how closely the series mirrors the original webcomic panels.
Social feeds are flooded with side-by-side comparisons of Shin Min-a and the illustrated empress. The verdict so far? People are completely hooked.
Expect a full press tour with the four leads over the coming weeks as Disney ramps up the hype. If you love messy relationships, gorgeous sets, and elite-level petty drama, get your watchlist ready. This one is going to dominate your group chats.
How it unfolded
2018
The Remarried Empress launches as a web novel before turning into a hit webtoon.
Recent months
Disney confirms the star-studded live-action cast featuring Shin Min-a and Ju Ji-hoon.
This week
Disney officially releases the first teaser trailer showcasing the lavish palace production.
Why this matters
Adapting a webtoon with three billion views gives Disney an instant global audience and marks one of its most ambitious, expensive Korean productions yet.
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Your questions answered
- Who stars in The Remarried Empress?
- Shin Min-a leads the cast alongside Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk, and Lee Se-young.
- Where can I watch The Remarried Empress?
- The series will stream exclusively on Disney's platform.
- What is The Remarried Empress based on?
- It is based on the wildly popular Naver Webtoon created by Alphatart and Sumpul.
- How many views did the webtoon get?
- The original webtoon gathered nearly three billion views worldwide.
- What is the plot of The Remarried Empress?
- An empress divorces her cheating husband and demands the right to remarry a neighbouring royal.
- Who plays the main character Navier?
- Popular South Korean actress Shin Min-a plays the lead character, Empress Navier.
- Is there a trailer for The Remarried Empress?
- Yes, Disney recently dropped the official first-look teaser trailer.
