Paradise, the critically acclaimed and box-office hit from South Korea, sure to score major Oscar nominations next week, is getting a limited series treatment at HBO.
The film’s director Bong Joon Ho, who also wrote the script, and “The Big Short” and “Vice” helmer Adam McKay are both in talks to executive produce the series.
It is unclear as of yet whether the series will be a direct English language remake of the film, or some kind of spinoff.
Parasite, which recently won the Golden Globe for best foreign language and is considered a potential frontrunner for best picture at the Oscars, tells the story of the poor Kim family who, one by one, infiltrate the domestic lives of the wealthy Park family.
However, as in most of Bong Joon Ho’s films, things take a twisted, sinister turn, throwing the Kims’ perfect plans off the rails and assuming the narrative of a thriller horror film.
The film deals with issues of class stratification and discrimination.
It stars Song Kang Ho, Lee Sun Kyun, Cho Yeo Jeong, Choi Woo Shik, Park So Dam, Lee Jung Eun and Chang Hyae Jin.
The prospective series is being put together by Kate Street Picture Company, CJ Entertainment and McKay’s Hyperobject Industries. Executive producers on the project include Dooho Choi for Kate Street, Miky Lee, Cho Young Ki and Francis Chung for CJ Entertainment, and Kevin Messick for Hyperobject Industries. Jerry Ko is co-exec producing and Fred Lee is producing for CJ Entertainment.
“Parasite” is the seventh feature film from Joon Ho, following on from “Barking Dogs Never Bite” (2000), “Memories of Murder” (2003), “The Host” (2006), “Mother” (2009), “Snowpiercer” (2013), and “Okja” (2017).
The show would go alongside recent Golden Globe winner “Succession” and the Showtime Lakers series. McKay also signed a deal with HBO and set a Jeffrey Epstein-centered limited series last year.