Train to Busan, Yeon Sang-Ho’s smart South Korean zombie thriller, may already be playing in theaters here in the States, but that hasn’t curbed chatter of a remake.
Word comes by way of The Hollywood Reporter, revealing earlier this week that both Fox and Sony are eyeing Sang-Ho’s actioner as a prime candidate for the Hollywood treatment and, as is often the case when a low-key hit begins making waves, a bidding war has sparked into life between Fox, Sony and rival French studios.
Contents Panda currently holds international rights to Train to Busan on behalf of Seoul-based production company Next Entertainment World, and though he declined to name names, the company’s senior manager Danny Lee confirmed that, “several major Hollywood studios as well as top French and European companies have made inquiries about remake rights, with some even making offers. There has been a lot of interest since the film received positive reviews at the Cannes Film Festival in May. It is currently doing very well in the local box office, so we are in no rush to make deals right away.”
Since its opening in South Korea, Train to Busan has blew past numerous box office milestones, even outpacing Hollywood tentpole Now You See Me 2. It’s already pulled in $750,000 from the US alone.
Train to Busan launched on these shores via limited release on July 22. Meanwhile, our own Matt Donato showered praise on Yeon Sang-Ho’s nail-biting thrill ride in his recent review.