Drishyam franchise to be remade in South Korea under Anthology Studios
On Sunday, Indian production banner Panorama Studios and South Korea's Anthology Studios announced a partnership for the remake of the Drishyam franchise. The announcement was made at the India Pavilion during the ongoing Cannes Film Festival by the heads of the two studios, Kumar Mangat Pathak and Jay Choi.
Malayalam crime thriller Drishyam follows Georgekutty (played by Mohanlal and Ajay Devgn) and his family, who come under suspicion when Varun Prabhakar, the son of the IG Geetha Prabhakar, goes missing. The 2013 film was penned and helmed by Jeethu Joseph.
The success of the original film led to remakes and sequels in four Indian languages. Kannada film Drishya and Telugu film Drushyam were released in 2014, while Tamil film Papanasam and Hindi film Drishyam were released in 2015.
This project marks the first Hindi film to be officially remade in the Korean language, according to the makers. Pathak, who has acquired multiple language rights for Drishyam, said he is looking forward to taking the film franchise to South Korea.
"I’m excited that the Drishyam franchise is being made in Korean, a first for a Hindi film. This will not only increase its reach outside India but will also put Hindi cinema on the global map. All these years, we have been inspired by Korean fare, and now they have found a muse in one of our films. What can be a bigger achievement for the Indian film fraternity," the producer said in a statement.
Choi, who co-founded Anthology Studios with Parasite star Song Kang-ho and acclaimed director Kim Jee-woon, said he is excited about the collaboration.
"We are thrilled to have an opportunity to remake a massively successful Hindi film with a touch of originality from Korean cinema. And the remake has greater significance as the first major co-production between Korea and India. Through our partnership, we will be able to bring the best of both Indian and Korean cinema and make a meaningful remake that is as excellent as the original," Choi added.
U.S.-based Jack Nguyen, former Warner Bros executive, will serve as executive producer on the Korean remake of Drishyam. Nguyen has worked with Pathak on the WB-produced comedy Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge and with Choi on the critically-acclaimed blockbuster drama Age of Shadows starring Song.
"I have a history with and the utmost respect for these highly-regarded producers so it was a natural fit for me to bring them together to collaborate on a great story in Drishyam. I’m excited to help them make history with this first-of-its-kind Indian-Korean co-production," added Nguyen.
