Apple Formally Orders 'Pachinko' TV Series Based on Bestselling Novel - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Formally Orders 'Pachinko' TV Series Based on Bestselling Novel

pachinkoApple has given a formal series order for "Pachinko," a drama based on the bestselling novel of the same name, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Pachinko," written by Min Jin Lee, chronicles the lives of four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family as they migrate to and establish a life in Japan. Apple first acquired the rights to a TV show based on the book in August 2018.

The novel begins in 1911 with the birth of Sunja, who becomes involved with a married yakuza, falling pregnant and facing ruin in her small village. The town's minister offers her a new life in Japan as his wife, where she is alone, lost, and unable to speak the language. The book then follows the Sunja's family through eight decades and four generations.

The TV adaptation of "Pachinko" will be written and produced by Soo Hugh, who will also serve as showrunner. Hugh has previously worked on "The Terror," "The Whispers," "Under the Dome," and "The Killing." Eight episodes are planned so far.

Apple has more than a dozen original TV shows in the works, which will be distributed through an upcoming streaming service that will be made available in the TV app.

Apple is hosting a March 25 event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, where it is expected to unveil details on the TV service.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

Apple Released Yet Another New Product Today

Friday March 20, 2026 2:39 pm PDT by
Apple has unveiled a whopping nine new products so far this March, including an iPhone 17e, iPad Air models with the M4 chip, MacBook Air models with the M5 chip, MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the all-new MacBook Neo, an updated Studio Display, a higher-end Studio Display XDR, AirPods Max 2, and now the Nike Powerbeats Pro 2. iPhone 17e features the same overall design as...
HomePod mini and Apple TV Sage

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Remain 'Ready' to Launch

Sunday March 22, 2026 6:33 am PDT by
Apple has unveiled nine new products this month, but the wait continues for the next-generation Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini models. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said new versions of the Apple TV and HomePod mini have been "ready" since last year, but he reiterated that Apple has held off on releasing them until the more personalized version of Siri and other...
Apple Business hero

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

Tuesday March 24, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
Apple today announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features. The service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single...

Top Rated Comments

Suttree Avatar
92 months ago
Ohhhhh. I get it now. Instead of wanting to be like HBO, FX, AMC, Apple wants to be Lifetime.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
92 months ago
I never thought an Apple car would amount to much, but I think Apple has a good shot at becoming a successful content distributor and maybe even a content creator.
Too bad they aren't producing good devices (hardware + software) onto which to view the aforementioned content.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
92 months ago
Seems like they are picking some interesting and well-regarded properties. Can’t wait to see what they unveil on the 25th.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
92 months ago
Yeahhhhh. I doubt this show takes off
All my friends who went bonkers for Downton Abbey will probably love this show. Never underestimate the appetite of literature-loving audiences for a good domestic drama set against a historic backdrop. They don’t care what race or ethnicity or era the characters represent, as long as there’s a lot of interpersonal drama.

And how about soap opera fans? I guess the younger generation knows them as “stories.”

Jeez, after all the big nighttime soaps of the 80’s went off the air, my mom started watching soap operas from Mexico. My mom is Asian and is fluent in at least two Asian languages, but didn’t speak Spanish. However she picks up languages like some kind of prodigy and she learned enough to follow all the storylines and followed her telenovellas for several years. Totally blew my mind she could or would do that. But such was her love for long term family dramas.

Assuming people even become aware this show exists, it could become a hit. Apple will need to get their presence out there past the tech fans on sites like this one to a much wider potential audience.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gigapocket1 Avatar
92 months ago
Yeahhhhh. I doubt this show takes off
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
theSpringZone Avatar
92 months ago
I’m just not feeling what Apple has planned, but I could be completely wrong.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)