‘The Intern’ Korean Remake Launches Warner Bros. Discovery Deal with Nguyen

WARNER, VET VENTURE

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has signed a first-look deal with industry veteran Jack Nguyen, with a Korean remake of the 2015 comedy-drama “The Intern” as their initial project. This deal, executed via Nguyen’s JOAT Films, is set to focus on Asian film projects, particularly local-language remakes of WBD’s English-language titles.

Nguyen will work with local partners across the Asia-Pacific region, including Korea and India. Kurt Rieder, Senior VP, head of theatrical distribution, APAC, WBD, noted the strong interest in Hollywood story remakes in this region.

A former 30-year Warner Bros. executive, Nguyen supervised local language activities in Asia and Latin America. His career includes overseeing productions such as “Letters from Iwo Jima,” the “Rurouni Kenshin” franchise, and “The Age of Shadows.”

Nguyen expressed, “It should come as no surprise that I have a great deal of respect and loyalty to Warner Bros. after spending the majority of my career there. I’m honored to be entrusted with some of their valuable IP to produce high-quality local language remakes with the best filmmakers in those countries. Additionally, I want to showcase new and talented filmmakers by finding ‘diamond in the rough’ projects that deserve attention on the world stage.”

Separately, Nguyen serves as an executive producer on Korea’s Anthology Studios and India’s Panorama Studios’ remake of the Indian “Drishyam” franchise in Korea.

DOCS DELIGHT

Busan International Film Fest (BIFF) is introducing a new Documentary Audience Award for its Wide Angle – Documentary competition. The KRW 10 million ($7,315) prize aims to spotlight Asian documentaries and enhance audience engagement. This award joins BIFF’s existing audience awards for the New Currents and Flash Forward sections. The festival is scheduled to run from October 2-11 in Busan, Korea.

‘PRECINCT’ PREMIERE

Netflix has released a trailer for “GG Precinct,” a spin-off series of the Taiwanese box office hit “Marry My Dead Body.” Scheduled to premiere on August 22, the six-episode crime comedy revolves around a string of unusual crimes with elaborate murder methods. Cases include a victim adorned with chicken feathers and a reindeer antler hat, and a woman suspended by her hair.

Veteran host Tai Chih-yuan returns to series acting after a decade, portraying a serial killer who stages crime scenes as Chinese idiom puzzles. Directors Cheng Wei-hao and Yin Chen-hao disclosed that Tai’s character introduction, featuring him in a straitjacket and muzzle, pays homage to Hannibal Lecter.

The cast includes members from the YouTube series “Muyao 4 Super Playing” and singer-songwriter Huang Hsuan.

“GG Precinct” follows the success of “Marry My Dead Body,” which has made Netflix’s Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) Film charts in several Asian markets and was Taiwan’s submission for the 2024 Academy Awards.

The series is part of a lineup of Taiwanese content on Netflix in 2024, which also includes “Let’s Talk About CHU” and “The Victim’s Game,” the platform’s first renewed Chinese-language production.

Source: Warner Bros. Discovery, Busan Int’l Film Fest, Netflix