Hollywood to remake Korean box office hits
Summary
Hollywood studios will remake Korean box office hits Extreme Job and The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil. CJ Entertainment is working with Universal Pictures on an English-language version of Extreme Job, with Kevin Hart set to star and Tracy Oliver writing the screenplay. The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil is also likely to get an American remake. The film was invited to the Cannes Film Festival in the Midnight Screening category, and its remake rights were being positively reviewed by a U.S. production company.
Key Facts
- Extreme Job drew more than 16 million moviegoers in Korea and became the country’s second-most-watched film of all time.
- CJ Entertainment said it is collaborating with Universal Pictures to produce an English-language remake of Extreme Job.
- Kevin Hart will star in the Hollywood reboot of Extreme Job, and Tracy Oliver will write the screenplay.
- The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil was invited to the Cannes Film Festival for the non-competitive Midnight Screening category.
- Its distribution rights were pre-sold in 104 countries, including Canada, Germany, France and China, before its May 15 local release.
By Park Jin-hai
Poster for the film “Extreme Job”
Korean hit films “Extreme Job” and “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil” will be remade by Hollywood studios.
The smash box office hit “Extreme Job,” a cop-comedy directed by Lee Byung-heon, has become Korea's second-most-watched film of all time, attracting more than 16 million moviegoers in local theaters, earlier this year.
The film's local distributor CJ Entertainment said the company is collaborating with Universal Pictures to produce an English-language remake. Kevin Hart, American comedian, actor and producer, will star in the film's Hollywood reboot, while Tracy Oliver will write the screenplay.
Hart will be also producing through his HartBeat production banner for Universal Pictures, which acquired the worldwide rights to the film.
“At Hartbeat, we are always seeking fun projects that tell a story for worldwide audiences, and we could not be more excited to be a part of this one,” Hart said in a statement. Writer Oliver said, “The concept of this film is so unique.”
The Korean original action-comedy, starring Ryu Seung-ryong, Lee Ha-nee and other veteran actors, feature the story of undercover narcotics detectives, who run a fried chicken joint to spy on and crack down on a drug ring in the neighborhood. Things go unexpectedly awry as the chicken restaurant becomes incredibly popular.
The upcoming, “The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil” by director Lee Won-tae, is also likely to be made into American remake. The film, starring Ma Dong-seok, tells the story of cop-gangster duo who team up to chase a serial killer. The crime action thriller has been invited to the Cannes Film Festival, running from May 14 to 25, in the non-competitive Midnight Screening category.
“An American production company is positively reviewing a U.S. remake,” the film's local production company B.A. Entertainment, said Tuesday. Before its May 15 local release, the film's distribution rights have been pre-sold in 104 countries including Canada, Germany, France and China.
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