Multi-awarded Korean fantasy action film Spiritwalker is getting a US remake, and fans may be on the fence about this decision.
The Korea Times article reported that the Korean film would have a Hollywood adaptation. Famous producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, known for megahits G.I Joe and the Transformers Series, will be the one to head this project. He commented that the original film was one of the most innovative and extraordinary films he came across in recent years. He also lauded the movie’s stunning action scenes and is excited to produce the Hollywood equivalent.
Director Yoon Jae-Keun’s creation stars Yoon Kye-sang, Lim Ji-Yeon, and Park Yong-woo. The plot focuses on a man who lost his memory and woke up in another person’s body. Every twelve hours, he switches bodies. The man does not remember who he is, only that he woke up in the middle of a car crash. Now that his spirit is traveling on its own, he desperately goes on a mission to find himself. He comes across someone who claims to recognize him. As he further goes through his investigation, he finds out that someone is after him, forcing him to hasten the search for his true body.
This year, the film was awarded the Daniel A. Craft Award for Excellence in Action Media at the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF.)
The issue now is that the film itself is amazing; does it truly need a Western adaptation? The issue is quite similar to that of the remake of the Korean film Train to Busan. More than ever, Parasite director Bong Joon-Ho’s speech remains vital as Hollywood persists in creating remakes of Korean films and dramas.
Spiritwalker will premiere in local theatres on November 24.