Zombie Blockbuster Courted by Sony, Fox
YEON Sang-ho’s smash hit zombie thriller
TRAIN TO BUSAN is being eyed by several companies in both Hollywood and France for potential remake deals. Sony Pictures and 20th Century Fox are said to be among the bidders for the Hollywood redo, while top French outfits Gaumont, Canal Plus and EuropaCorp are also vying for the right to remake the property in France.
Currently on release in Korea, TRAIN TO BUSAN has been one of the most successful domestic releases in the country’s history. After posting the biggest opening day of all time and second largest opening weekend on record, the film has now accumulated 9.25 million viewers (USD 66.94 million) and is still attracting daily six digit audience figures. Meanwhile, the film has accrued over USD 716,000 during its North American release, courtesy of distributor Well Go USA.
TRAIN TO BUSAN initially premiered as a Midnight Screening at the Cannes Film Festival this year, where it received a standing ovation and unanimously positive reviews. While the film marks YEON’s first foray into live-action filmmaking, he has already forged a reputation as a purveyor of high quality indie animated features, such as
The King of Pigs (2011),
The Fake (2013) and
Seoul Station, which serves as a prequel to
TRAIN TO BUSAN and recently closed the 20th edition of the
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.