BEIJING -- Korea’s sensationally popular TV series will be made into a movie in China, a report said Tuesday.

China’s newspaper Wuhan said Huace Film & TV, one of the country’s biggest film production companies, has already bought the rights to reproduce it into a film.

It also said Zhang Yibai will direct it and the lead roles for Yoo Si-jin and Kang Mo-yeon, played by Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo in the original series, haven’t been cast yet.

“We are under enormous pressure since the original drama hit it off by casting two very attractive stars,” Zhang was quoted as saying.

“We won’t rely on the reputation of the original drama but use it as a foundation to build a wholly new movie,” he said, stressing that “We’d like to make a better one.” (Yonhap)