Park Chan-wook set to produce first English-language series adaptation of Oldboy

Calling all action fans! This just in: Lionsgate Television has reportedly teamed up with award-winning South Korean filmmaker and television creator Park Chan-wook on a new project. That new project is an English-language series adaptation of Chan-wook's critically acclaimed action-thriller flick Oldboy. This news comes as Chan-wook's new spy thriller miniseries The Sympathizer just recently premiered on HBO. We shared everything we know so far about the upcoming series adaptation below.

This will be the first English-language series adaptation of the property. Two film remakes have been made in the past: a 2006 Indian Hindi-language remake titled Zinda and a 2013 American English-language remake titled Oldboy.

Park Chan-wook, who co-wrote the screenplay for the original film as well as directed it, is signed on to produce the series adaptation along with fellow producing partner Syd Lim. Here's what Chan-wook had to say about partnering with Lionsgate on this new project via an official press release:

"Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television. I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling."

- Park Chan-wook

Lionsgate Television also spoke on their new partnership with Chan-wook. Check out what the company said below.

"Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen. This series adaptation of Oldboy will feature the raw emotional power, iconic fight scenes and visceral style that made the film a classic."

- Scott Herbst at Lionsgate Television

Lionsgate executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi are overseeing the Oldboy series adaptation for Lionsgate Television. In addition, Bryan Weiser, the executive director of television business affairs at Lionsgate, negotiated the partnership.

The original South Korean action-thriller film was released in 2003. As mentioned above, Chan-wook directed the movie from a screenplay he co-wrote with Hwang Jo-yun and Lim Jun-hyung. It's a movie loosely adapted from the Japanese manga of the same name by Garon Tsuchiya. The story follows a man who is finally set free after being imprisoned by an unknown captor for 15 years. Now, he's hell-bent on seeking revenge against his captor, but things become complicated when he finds out that he must track down said captor in five days.

Oldboy is part of Chan-wook's The Vengeance Trilogy, which also includes films Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance. It was a box-office hit when it hit theaters back in 2003 and even won many prestigious accolades, including becoming the first South Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004. Some people even consider this movie to be one of the best films ever made. You definitely have to check it out if you haven't already, especially if you're looking forward to watching the upcoming series adaptation.

That's all there is to know about the Oldboy series adaptation at the moment. As more information about the new show is announced, we'll be sure to come back and update you. But for now, you can check out some of Park Chan-wook's other work such as the miniseries The Sympathizer and the movies The Handmaiden, Decision to Leave, Thirst and Stoker.