Grab your hammer, because Park Chan-wook is bringing his 2003 cult classic Oldboy to the small screen. Per Variety, Park is developing an English-language TV adaptation of the ultra-violent revenge thriller with Lionsgate.
Directed and co-written by Park, the original movie was loosely based on the Japanese manga of the same name and tells the story of Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), a businessman who was kidnapped and held captive in a hotel room for 15 years. After suddenly being released, he sets out for revenge against whoever’s responsible.
Park will produce the series adaptation with his creative partner Syd Lim, with Lionsgate Television executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi overseeing the show. It’s currently unknown whether Park will also direct.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television,” said Park in a statement. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original, and risk-taking storytelling.”
Back in 2013, Spike Lee directed an English-language remake of Oldboy starring Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Imperioli.
Park’s latest TV series, The Sympathizer, takes place during the Vietnam War, starring Hoa Xuande as a double agent known as The Captain and Robert Downey Jr. in multiple roles. Read our recent interview with Park and members of the cast.
Be sure to check out our 20th anniversary retrospective on Oldboy.