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

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
macos tahoe

Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:21 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week. The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included. macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Another Vehicle Brand Gaining iPhone Car Keys Support

Tuesday October 28, 2025 5:27 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to bring support for its digital car key feature to Jetour vehicles, according to evidence uncovered on Apple's backend by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. Introduced in 2022, Car Keys allows an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock a vehicle through the Wallet app. A digital version of a car key is stored in Wallet, and unlocking can be done by holding an Apple Watch or...

Top Rated Comments

Suttree Avatar
87 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)
5105973 Avatar
87 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)
sidewinder3000 Avatar
87 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)
imageWIS Avatar
87 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)
theSpringZone Avatar
87 months ago
I’m just not feeling what Apple has planned, but I could be completely wrong.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gigapocket1 Avatar
87 months ago
Yeahhhhh. I doubt this show takes off
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)