Disney+ has officially put a hold on the release of Knock Off, the highly-anticipated drama starring Kim Soo-hyun, due to growing controversy surrounding his connection with the late Kim Sae-ron.

On March 21, Disney+ stated, "After careful consideration, we've decided to postpone the release of Knock Off." The series had completed most of its filming and was initially scheduled for release in April.

A 60 Billion Won Production — Now on Hold

Knock Off tells the story of Kim Sung-joon (played by Kim Soo-hyun), a man whose life is turned upside down by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. He eventually rises to the top of the global counterfeit market. The drama gained massive attention as Kim Soo-hyun's next project following Queen of Tears, which achieved record-breaking ratings on tvN.

Touted as Disney+'s biggest release of the first half of 2025, Knock Off reportedly cost around 60 billion KRW (approx. $45 million USD) to produce.

Kim Soo-hyun's Growing Risk Factor

Among Kim Soo-hyun's ongoing controversies, Knock Off stands as the largest-scale project potentially affected. The situation is not only impacting Disney+ but also various global platforms and commercial deals.

Back in December, Kim Soo-hyun was named the ambassador for Italian luxury brand Prada, but the contract was recently terminated. MBC's variety show Good Day also announced that they would edit out as much of Kim Soo-hyun's footage as possible in upcoming episodes.

The fate of Knock Off remains uncertain as the controversy continues to grow.