New Line’s remake of the hugely successful South Korean zombie flickTrain to Busanhas finally begun to pick up some speed, withV/H/S/2director Timo Tjahjanto being brought aboard to helm the project. TheTrain to Busan Remakeis being produced by Atomic Monster, which is headed up by modern horror movie maestro, James Wan, the man behind such frightening hits asSaw,InsidiousandThe Conjuring.
Atomic Monster’s Michael Clear and Gaumont’s Nicolas Atlan and Terry Kalagian will produce alongside Wan with Coin Operated’s Gary Dauberman, who is adapting the screenplay. Judson Scott, Sidonie Dumas, Christophe Riandee and Johanna Byer are executive producing the upcoming remake.
Timo Tjahjantofirst made his presence known back in 2013, directing the horrifying segment “Safe Haven” as part of the collaborative anthologyV/H/S/2. Since then, the filmmaker has proven his talent for bloody action outings, directingThe Raid’sIko Uwais in the violent thrillerHeadshotbefore uniting again with the martial arts star andMortal Kombat’sJoe Taslim for the even bloodier thrillerThe Night Comes for Us.
Most recently, Tjahjanto wrote and directed the dark fantasyMay the Devil Take You: Chapter Two, which picks up two years after 2018’sMay the Devil Take Youand follows Alfie and Nara as they try to continue their lives. Alfie though is still haunted by feelings of guilt and unnatural visions, as the dangers that await them rise again to take their lives.
Released in 2016, the originalTrain to Busanfinds Seok-woo and his daughter on a train to Busan on the latter’s birthday to see his wife. However, the journey turns into a nightmare when they are trapped amidst a zombie outbreak in South Korea. Caused by a chemical leak at a biotech plant, thezombie apocalypsequickly spreads through both the nation and the titular train itself, with our characters struggling to survive.
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho and starring Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, and Ma Dong-seok, the originalTrain to Busanfirst premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016 and quickly became an international box office hit and critical smash. Praised for reigniting the crowded zombie movie genre with a unique approach,Train to Busanis an intense commute with the undead, thanks in large part to both the central performances and claustrophobic frights.
Train to Busanspawned both ananimated prequel and a live action sequel, 2020’sTrain to Busan Presents: Peninsulaand follows a soldier who is sent along with his team to retrieve a truck full of money from the wastelands of the Korean peninsula now inhabited by zombies, rogue militia, and a family. Sadly, the sequel proved to be an unworthy follow-up and received mixed reviews from critics.
When the rights toTrain to Busanhit the marketplace studio’s erupted into a savage frenzy trying to buy them up, with New Line emerging victorious. Should the remake prove to be as successful as the original, the studio will no doubt be gleefully rubbing their hands together at the thought of a potential franchise. This comes to us courtesy ofDeadline.
