Netflix’s latest offering from Korea, the sci-fi thriller seriesHellboundcreated by acclaimed director Yeon Sang-ho, has already become the top non-English language series globally for the streamer, currently just ahead ofSquid Game.Its creator is best known internationally for having directed the hugehorrorzombie hits 2016’sTrain to Busanand 2020’sPeninsula.Now, Yeon has teased a potential third installment in the zombie trilogy.
Centering on a group of passengers on a high-speed train from Seoul to Busan battling to survive after a zombie apocalypse breaks out,Train to Busanis ahorrormovie that pairs exhilarating set-pieces with profound social commentary. It was seen as a refreshing take on the zombie genre and garnered critical acclaim and huge audiences. Following this, Yeon releasedPeninsula,a standalone sequel set inthe same universe asTrain to Busanand taking place four years afterward.
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Yeon has now teased the possibility of a third movie, saying it could be a mixture of the first two movies in terms of genre and subject. Speaking to Variety, Yeon said he has had ideas of further development for the cinematic universe he’s created and wants to develop those into a film. For him, a TV series adaptation would not be capable of creating the same impressive visuals. Yeon went on to say that the potential third movie would be similar toTrain to Busanin that it would “be carried out in a small, restricted space,” rather than the high-octane car chases ofPeninsula.
Korean horror films are hugely popularand have brought a large audience to South Korean cinema as a whole. TV series have followed in these footsteps, and while it serves to be careful not to make lazy comparisons just because of a shared country of origin, the combination of social commentary and inventive horror is very successfully executed in Korean media.Train to Busanwas incredibly influential and has a stellar cast to boot. The movie’s lead actor, Gong Yoo, went on to have a prominent role inSquid Game, while another cast member, Ma Dong-seok, is currently starring in Marvel Studios’Eternals.
The movie rightly has a passionate fanbase that wants to see more from the universe. However, a questionableAmerican remake ofTrain to Busanis currently in the works. TitledLast Train to New York, the remake has already received criticism for its unnecessary nature, taking an already great film and cashing in with a shallow rehashing just so English-language viewers don’t need to read subtitles. The four-time Academy Award-winning Korean film,Parasite,gave its director Bong Joon-ho a chance to advocate for foreign language films in his acceptance speech, and the easily-overcome “one-inch barrier” of subtitles. Hardcore fans of Yeon’s films may therefore want to miss its American adaptation.
While there is no confirmation from Yeon about the actual development of a third movie in the universe, the idea is already inspiring much anticipation and would surely be another hit for Korean cinema -Train to Busanwasaglobal box office hitwith a worldwide gross of $98.5 million. In the meantime, fans can check out Yeon’s Netflix seriesHellbound,which is on track to be the streamer’s next big thing.
