Earlier this week on October 17 KST, various media outlets reported that the production of the drama 'I Trust You' (produced by Mays Entertainment) has been halted indefinitely due to the production's inability to pay its cast and crew. 

According to YTN, filming for 'I Trust You' began in April of this year. However, filming was halted approximately 2 months later in June, after the production company failed to secure a deal with its primary investor. Lacking sufficient funds to complete the project's production, Mays Entertainment has put the drama on hold. Furthermore, the drama's cast and crew has not been paid for their labor from the first 2 months of filming, YTN reported. 

In response, a representative of Mays Entertainment commented, "We are making efforts to secure a new investor and will take full responsibility for the issue of payments for the cast and crew." 

However, because one of the drama's main cast members, NCT's Jaehyun, is awaiting his enlistment in November of this year, industry insiders suspect that it will be difficult for the production to continue unless another actor is cast as Jaehyun's replacement. Initially, Jaehyun was set to take on the role of the male lead Seo Il Nam in 'I Trust You', a school bullying victim who learns to overcome his misfortunes. He was cast alongside Lee Chae Min, Kim Sun Young, Park Sung Woong, and more. 

This is not the first time that one of Jaehyun's drama projects has faced difficulties. In 2020, Jaehyun was cast in the KBS2 drama 'Dear.M' as a male lead alongside actress Park Hye Soo. However, after Park Hye Soo became wrapped up in school bullying allegations, the drama's broadcast was delayed, until it was eventually released only in Japan in 2022. Afterward, in 2021, Jaehyun was cast in a drama remake of the film 'Bungee Jumping'. This production was also ultimately cancelled as a result of disapproval from the original writer.

Many netizens sympathized with Jaehyun's poor luck thus far in his acting career, commenting, 

"Luck will shine on you once you return from the military, so don't worry, Jaehyun."

"I feel bad for him and for the production crew that worked on the drama."

"I still remember seeing Jaehyun in his early twenties and thinking he's gonna make it if he goes into acting. Now he's almost thirty and is still just barely dipping his feet in the acting industry... If acting is something he's genuinely interested in, then it must be really stressful..."

"It's amazing that none of it was his fault. Seriously, he should try going to a shaman for a purifying ritual."

"I hope things start working out for him after he gets back from the military."

"Part of it is SM's fault for being so stubborn about landing their artists lead roles from the beginning. They never learned their lesson."

"But in truth, dramas getting cancelled halfway through production is a common occurrence... It's just bad luck."

"Realistically speaking, idols need to start from small roles instead of starting out in leading roles right away. What investors would want to invest in a drama with an idol actor who hasn't proven his skills? It's best to build experience through smaller roles and then work your way up."

"I kind of get why this drama didn't appeal to investors... These days, trying to sell a drama to idol fans using one popular idol as one of the main characters isn't going to work. It'll be much better for him to go into a big budget production as a supporting character."

Fortunately, Jaehyun was able to successfully make his big-screen debut earlier on October 16 with the premiere of 'You Will Die in 6 Hours'. The NCT member is due to begin his mandatory military service duties on November 4 as a member of the ROK army band. 

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