A trend that might never end in Hollywood is American remakes of foreign movies, more so if they are box office hits, and thankfully, Hollywood gave up on remaking an amazing Korean horror movie with a near-perfectRotten Tomatoesscore. Korea has stood out in recent years for its high-quality movies and TV shows, and though it has become best-known for its dramas (known as K-dramas), it also has an interesting catalog of horror movies. One of its biggest hits from this genre is the 2016 action horror movieTrain to Busan, directed by Yeon Sang-ho and written by Park Joo-suk.
Train to Busanfollows Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), who’s taking his estranged daughter, Su-an (Kim Su-an), to Busan, as the girl wants to spend her birthday with her mother. However,when an ill woman runs onto the train unnoticed, she turns into a zombie and rapidly infects everyoneon the train. Seok-woo, Su-an, and other passengers do their best to keep the zombies away while also finding a way to get to Busan.Train to Busanwas a critical and commercial success, so much so that it launched a movie series that almost included an American remake.
Warner Bros. Apparently Shelved The American Train To Busan Remake In 2022
Train To Busan Was In The Process Of Being Remade
Train to Busanwas praised for its “unique” take on zombies, its layered and well-developed characters, social commentary, action scenes, and suspense.Train to Busanwas followed by an animated prequel, written and directed by Yeon Sang-ho. TitledSeoul Stationand also released in 2016, the movie explores how the zombie epidemic inTrain to Busanstarted, and was also well-received by critics. That same year, Gaumont acquired the rights for an English-language remake ofTrain to Busan.
10 Best Korean Horror Movies
Some of the scariest and most effective horror movies come from Korea, from the well-known Train to Busan to the underrated Three… Extremes.
In 2021, it was revealed that James Wan was going to produce the American remake ofTrain to Busan, with Gary Dauberman adapting the script (viaEW). A month later,Timo Tjahjanto was announced as director for the remake ofTrain to Busan(viaDeadline), and in December of 2021, the project was revealed to be titledThe Last Train to New York. The movie was scheduled for an June 13, 2025, release, but in 2022, Warner Bros. removed the title from its schedule, and Lee Cronin’sEvil Dead Risetook its spot.
At the time of writing,there haven’t been any updates on the future ofThe Last Train to New Yorknor any other attempts to remakeTrain to Busan, so it’s fair to say that the project is no longer happening. However, what seems to still be happening is a sequel to 2020’sPeninsula,the sequel toTrain to Busan.
Why There Is No Reason For An American Remake Of Train To Busan To Be Made
Train To Busan Is Perfect As It Is
There are few examples where the American remake of a foreign movie has been as good or even better as the original, but when the original is as good asTrain to Busan, there really is no need to remake it.Train to Busandeserves all the praise it got, the high scores, and its place as one of the best horror movies ever made. The story and characters are very unique to the setting, and that can’t be matched in a remake, and what madeTrain to Busanso innovative will never have the same impact if remade.
The American remake ofTrain to Busannever felt authentic and, instead, felt more like Hollywood taking advantage of the movie’s success and popularity.
Train to Busanis very unique, and repeating it in another setting would be senseless. The American remake ofTrain to Busannever felt authentic and, instead, felt more like Hollywood taking advantage of the movie’s success and popularity. Surely, Hollywood can come up with a unique zombie movie that doesn’t have to be attached to theTrain to Busanmovie series.
