‘The Intern’ Korean Remake Kicks Off WBD Deal with Jack Nguyen

WARNER, VET VENURE

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has revealed a first-look deal with industry veteran Jack Nguyen, with a Korean remake of the 2015 comedy-drama “The Intern” set as the inaugural project. The agreement, made through Nguyen’s JOAT Films, focuses on Asia-centric film projects, particularly local-language remakes of WBD’s English-language titles.

Nguyen will collaborate with local partners across the Asia-Pacific region, including Korea and India. Kurt Rieder, senior VP, head of theatrical distribution, APAC, WBD, highlighted the strong appetite for Hollywood story remakes in the region.

A former 30-year Warner Bros. executive, Nguyen previously 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 said: “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. In addition, 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 Int’l Film Fest is rolling out a new Documentary Audience Award for its Wide Angle – Documentary competition. The KRW 10 million ($7,315) prize aims to spotlight Asian docs and boost audience engagement. It joins BIFF’s existing audience awards for New Currents and Flash Forward sections. The fest runs Oct. 2-11 in Busan, Korea.

‘PRECINCT’ PREMIERE

Netflix has released the trailer for “GG Precinct,” a spin-off series of the Taiwanese box office hit “Marry My Dead Body.” The six-episode crime comedy is set to premiere on Aug. 22. The series centers on a string of unusual crimes featuring 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 makes his return 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 revealed 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 entered 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 joins a lineup of Taiwanese content on Netflix in 2024, including “Let’s Talk About CHU” and “The Victim’s Game,” the platform’s first renewed Chinese-language production.