On June 13, NHK announced that it had decided on the second batch of members for the WDR (Writers' Development Room) Project, a team specializing in script development. The members, selected through a public call for entries, will each develop a script based on an original plan. At the development stage, it is not decided whether the story will be made into a film or broadcast, but the writing will be carried out with the aim of broadcasting it as a drama series.
Each member writes a "pilot script (the first part of a drama series)" based on their own plan. They also participate in "brainstorming meetings" where they share stories with other members from the concept stage and provide each other with ideas. When producing a drama series overseas, it is common for multiple screenwriters to gather in a "writers' room" to co-write, and the brainstorming meeting plays the role of the writers' room.
For the first period, 10 members were selected to work from October 2022 to June 2023. Based on the project that emerged from that, the Saturday drama "30 Million" starring Yumi Adachi was produced and aired.
The six members selected for the second term are Tomoe Asaka, Katsuya Inukai, Mikie Onuki, Saki Kuniyoshi, Munetani Tateya, and Mana Morikawa. The group will consist of nine members, including Tomomi Naka, Shu Matsui, and Tomoyuki Yamaguchi, who have been with the group since the first term.
Akiko Ueda, producer of the second season, commented, "It's been five months since we began recruiting additional members. The WDR Project has welcomed six new members, bringing the total to nine people as we begin the second season. Once again, we have gathered talented people with a diverse background from film, theater, games, and comedy. We are grateful to the 1,297 people who applied, and over the next five months, we will work as a team to create a one-of-a-kind ``fun!'' experience. Please look forward to it!"
