As a movie buff with a deep appreciation for international cinema and a keen interest in the film industry’s business side, I find the latest developments surrounding the remake of “Save the Green Planet” truly intriguing. Having followed the careers of Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone since their groundbreaking collaboration on “The Lobster,” I’m excited to see them team up once again for this new sci-fi conspiracy thriller.
As a movie enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that Yorgos Lanthimos, the renowned director behind “Kinds of Kindness,” which made waves at Cannes, and the talented Emma Stone are currently immersed in bringing “Bugonia” to life on set. This intriguing sci-fi conspiracy film is a revamped version of the South Korean classic “Save the Green Planet.”
In this movie, two suspects with a strong belief in conspiracies abduct the influential CEO of a large corporation. They hold her captive under the assumption that she is an extraterrestrial being planning to harm Earth. The screenplay for this production is based on the works of Will Tracy, who has previously written for “Succession” and “The Menu”.
I’ve been deeply impressed by CJ ENM’s forward-thinking approach to IP strategy. As a co-producer and co-financier, they’ve been investing in both local and international remakes for quite some time. However, I strongly believe that the success of their latest production, a new “Save the Green Planet,” would not have gained the same level of global recognition without the ongoing expansion of Hallyu, or the Korean wave. This cultural phenomenon has opened up new markets and audiences for their content, allowing it to reach and resonate with people all around the world.
I’ve always been intrigued by the unique blend of humor and disturbing violence in “Save the Green Planet,” a film directed by Jang Joon-hwan that came out in 2003. The critical reception was sharply divided, with some praising its audacity while others were left deeply uncomfortable. Despite this, the movie didn’t make much of an impact at the box office. Yet, it has managed to maintain a dedicated following among Korean film enthusiasts.
According to Jerry Ko, the head of international film department at CJ ENM, “Save the Green Planet” was a visionary production that unfortunately premiered before its time.
In the early 2000s, Korean cinema was still unfamiliar to many around the world. Filmmakers such as Kim Ki-duk and Park Chan-wook were starting to gain recognition, but their works typically fit into either art-house or commercial categories. However, “Save the Green Planet” stood out as something different, deviating from both these classifications. Kim was a pioneer in the art-house scene and frequently showcased his work at film festivals. In contrast, Park and others catered to a broader Korean audience. Nevertheless, this film was an intriguing blend of genres and didn’t quite fit into either category. With the growing global popularity of Korean productions like “Parasite” and “Squid Game,” we believed it was worth revisiting “Save the Green Planet.”
“The film ‘Parasite,’ funded in part and globally distributed by a major Korean production company, earned the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2019 and four Oscars in early 2020. Similarly, the popular Netflix series ‘Squid Game,’ though unrelated to ‘Parasite,’ has gained recognition overseas due to increasing awareness of Korean content.”
“The ‘Squid Game’ director had been developing his idea for a film since approximately 2010. However, after a decade, he discovered the opportunity to bring his project to life in the form of a series,” Ko explains.
CJ ENM, the South Korean firm now controlling a majority stake of Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor’s scripted content branch), has attempted several strategies to establish a presence in Hollywood. With its belief in Hollywood’s financial resources and global reach, CJ made investments such as an equity share in Dreamworks SKG led by Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg, a partnership with Chris Columbus’s 1492 Productions, and a $40 million investment in TNT’s “Snowpiercer” series. Miky Lee, CJ ENM’s forward-thinking vice chair based in California, and the company’s operation of several U.S. multiplexes modeled after its successful CJ-CGV chain in Korea further bolster these endeavors.
In 2017, CJ ENM revealed its strategy to expand into Hollywood by focusing on intellectual property (IP) and co-productions. The “Miss Granny” franchise served as a model for CJ’s production collaborations. This comedy-drama has been successfully adapted several times across Asia, with minor cultural adjustments in each version. For the North American market, two distinct adaptations were planned: one by Tyler Perry Studios for the African American audience and another by 3Pas Studio for the Hispanic community and potentially Latin America.
Recently, CJ ENM America has increased its domestic production efforts by bringing on board Elsie Choi. Elsie is an experienced film and TV development professional who has previously worked with renowned producers like Dan Lin and Bruce Willis.
At times, advancement can be influenced by luck. “During our discussions about updating ‘Save the Green Planet’ with its original director Jang, we faced challenges in making it relevant and contemporary,” Ko explains. “Fortunately, we were introduced to Ari Aster who was overseeing a program at LACMA and promoting this film.”
Aster played a significant role in the process of bringing Tracy on board and making the important choice to switch the gender of the main character from male to female. Along with Jang, we deliberated over this matter and ultimately decided to make the change, reflecting current societal trends. This decision was made prior to Yorgos Lanthimos joining the project, and by the time he came aboard, we had nearly finished drafting the script.
Lanthimos, with Element Pictures as his regular producer and later secured financing from Fremantle, its parent company, had already sealed the deal before “Poor Things” triumphed at the Venice Film Festival last year and earned a total of four Oscars. Ko considers their luck repeated, and Lanthimos’ profile has since risen even further.
CJ ENM doesn’t rely on luck when it comes to the richness of its intellectual property or its ambition to expand globally. In fact, there are at least three English-language adaptations of its content in various stages of production in Hollywood. Universal Pictures is developing “Extreme Job” and “Bye Bye Bye,” which is a remake of the 2011 melodrama “Sunny.” Additionally, Michael Mann is currently working on a remake of CJ ENM’s 2015 crime action hit “Veteran” after completing “Heat 2.”
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2024-07-19 18:17