Global remakes of K-content in the works

A French movie topped the Netflix’s chart for movies for five days from Feb. 26. The movie is titled, “Restless.” The Netflix’s original movie climbed to the top immediately after its debut on Feb. 26.

Another reason why the French movie, which rose to the top beating popular Hollywood movies, attracted attention is because it is a remake of Korean film.

In addition to the global success of K-content, remakes of K-content are being well received in the international market, raising the prestige of K-content. Remakes of K-content, including “Restless”are in the works, showing the potential of K-content.

The English remake of “Train to Busan,” which was released in 2016, is in the works under the title, “Last Train to New York.” American media outlets, including Variety, reported that producer James Wan, who directed “Saw” and “The Conjuring” is participating in the production of the movie, which will be released in April 2023.

“The Villainess,” which stars Kim Ok-vin and Shin Ha-kyun, is set to be adapted for TV series by Amazon Studios. Other Korean movies, such as “Miracle in Cell No. 7” and “Man on the Edge,” are also set for a remake in Spain and India, respectively. There will also be a Chinese-language remake of “Sinkhole.” With more and more Korean movies signing copyright contracts, the sales of remake rights reached 2.38 billion won last year, the highest in five years. It almost doubled compared to that of 2020 (1.22 billion won).

As global interest in K-content is rising following a series of mega hit series, including “Squid Game,” “Hellbound,” and “All of Us Are Dead,” the sales of remake rights are expected to increase greatly this year. Competition from overseas producers to find hidden gems, such as “A Hard Day,” which was recognized both for their artistry and popularity but failed to debut on international stage due to a lack of global streaming platforms, is expected to intensify.


Hyo-Ju Son hjson@donga.com