'Drishyam' franchise to be remade in South Korea

Cannes: Indian production banner Panorama Studios and Anthology Studios from South Korea on Sunday announced a partnership for the remake of the "Drishyam" franchise in Korea.

The announcement was made at the India Pavilion during the ongoing Cannes Film Festival by the studios with their respective heads Kumar Mangat Pathak and Jay Choi in attendance.

"Drishyam", the Malayalam crime thriller, follows Georgekutty (Mohanlal) and his family, who come under suspicion when Varun Prabhakar, the son of the IG Geetha Prabhakar, goes missing. The 2013 movie was written and directed by Jeethu Joseph.

The success of the film led to remakes and sequels in four Indian languages: "Drishya" (2014) in Kannada, "Drushyam" (2014) in Telugu, "Papanasam" (2015) in Tamil, and "Drishyam" (2015).

According to the makers, the project marks the first time a Hindi film is being officially remade in Korean language.

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, 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.

US-based Jack Nguyen, former Warner Bros executive, will serve as executive producer on the Korean remake of "Drishyam". Nguyen has worked with Pathak on WB produced comedy "Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge" and with Choi in the critically-acclaimed blockbuster drama "Age of Shadows" starring Song.

"I have 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.