Hande Ercel and Baris Arduc are set to reunite for a Turkish adaptation of the hit Korean drama Queen of Tears, titled Love and Tears (Aşk ve Gözyaşı). Following their two successful collaborations, the popular duo will play a married couple navigating a tumultuous marriage.
The makers have promised that the adaptation Love and Tears will remain faithful to the original, which became a huge success worldwide. With Hande Erçel and Barış Arduç, it is already being billed as one of the major television highlights of the year.
‘Love and Tears’ Release Date and Production
Love and Tears is set to premiere in September 2025 on ATV, with filming currently underway. While the release date is yet to be confirmed, it will air on Friday evenings starting next month.
The series is produced by O3 Media and Dass Production, both renowned for creating high-profile dramas with global appeal. Early reports suggest the team plans to stay true to the heart of the Korean original while adapting the story to resonate with Turkish viewers.
Plot Overview
The drama focuses on Meyra (Hande Ercel), a successful businesswoman, and Selim (Baris Arduc), her company’s lawyer, as they navigate the ups and downs of their marriage.
Their once-perfect marriage starts to unravel after years of unspoken tensions, misunderstandings, and growing emotional distance. As divorce nears, circumstances push them to confront hidden truths and rebuild their connection. The storyline stays true to the core of Queen of Tears while weaving in cultural elements that speak to Turkish audiences.
Cast and Characters
Fans are excited over the casting of Hande Erçel and Barış Arduç, who have already shown amazing chemistry in their previous projects. Erçel, one of Turkey’s most beloved actresses, won fans around the world with her performances in Aşk Laftan Anlamaz and Sen Çal Kapımı. Arduç has become a familiar and beloved face to audiences everywhere with his roles in Kiralık Aşk and Çukur.
This marks their third collaboration in two years, following the Netflix romantic film Leave It to the Wind (Rüzgara Bırak, 2023) and the Disney+ drama series Reminder (Aşkı Hatırla, 2024).
Creative Team
Behind the scenes, Love and Tears is helmed by director Engin Erden and screenwriter Dilara Pamuk, who have both previously worked with the lead actors.
Love and Tears Trailer
The first Love and Tears trailer was dropped last week, where viewers see Meyra and Selim pretending to be a “happy couple.” Selim says, “Almost three years will be but it feels as if we got married yesterday.” The teaser concludes with the couple standing side by side, and Selim saying, “Do you think that they believed that we were a happy couple?”
The Legacy of Queen of Tears
The original Korean drama Queen of Tears, starring Kim Ji Won and Kim Soo Hyun, was a global phenomenon when it premiered in early 2024. Written by Park Ji Eun, the screenwriter behind Crash Landing on You, and co-directed by Kim Hee Won and Jang Young Woo, the series achieved record-breaking ratings in South Korea. Its finale peaked at 24.850% nationwide, making it tvN’s highest-rated drama in history.
On Netflix, the series became the most-watched Korean TV drama of all time, amassing 682.6 million viewing hours worldwide. The story of Hong Hae In, a chaebol heiress, and Baek Hyun Woo, her rural-born lawyer husband, resonated deeply with audiences for its exploration of marriage, illness, and reconciliation.
Queen of Tears was a massive hit and earned awards at both the Asian Academy Creative Awards and the Asian Television Awards.
Given the original’s global success and the chemistry between Hande Ercel and Baris Arduc, expectations for Love and Tears are already very high.
