Yorgos Lanthimos, known for directing ‘Poor Things,’ will team up with Element Pictures to remake the South Korean fantasy comedy ‘Save the Green Planet!‘ They plan to begin filming this summer in the U.K. and New York, with Ari Aster joining as producer.
Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe from Element Pictures, along with Aster’s Square Peg and CJ ENM, will produce the film. This collaboration will be Lanthimos’ sixth with Element Pictures.
‘Save the Green Planet!’ follows a disillusioned young man who captures and tortures a businessman he believes is part of an alien invasion. A battle of wits unfolds between the captor, his loyal girlfriend, the businessman, and a private detective.
The original South Korean film, directed by Jang Joon-hwan in 2003, gained a cult following and festival acclaim under CJ Entertainment. It won awards at various fantasy festivals and markets, including Bucheon, Buenos Aires, Brussels, Rotterdam, Tokyo Filmex, and Moscow. Jang himself earned the Golden Bell Award for Best New Director in Korea in 2003.
Initially, Jang was set to direct the film’s remake, which is based on a screenplay by Will Tracy, known for his work on HBO’s ‘Succession’ and Searchlight’s ‘The Menu.’
Both CJ ENM and Element Pictures had no comment. CJ ENM, known for its extensive library of Korean and Asian film and TV content, has remade several titles, like the 2014 musical comedy ‘Miss Granny,’ in at least nine local language versions. CJ America, its U.S. division, has approached top Hollywood directors for projects, including Michael Mann for a revamp of ‘Veteran.’
Lanthimos’ upcoming film, ‘Kinds of Kindness,’ entered post-production a couple of months ago. It stars Emma Stone, Margaret Qualley, Willem Dafoe, and Joe Alwyn.
RELATED: ‘Poor Things’ VOD and Blu-Ray Release Date Revealed
