Nearly a decade since receiving international recognition for his work on 2016’s Train to Busan, South Korean filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho is officially making his English-language feature directorial debut in the form of an action horror movie titled, 35th Street. This project will also serve as Yeon’s first partnership with a major Hollywood studio, TriStar Pictures, the studio behind horror movies such as 2006’s Silent Hill, 2013’s Evil Dead and 2023’s Thanksgiving.
According to Deadline, Yeon will be directing 35th Street for TriStar Pictures from a screenplay he will be co-writing with Ryu Yong-jae. At the moment, the project is still currently in the development phase of pre-production, with Appian Way and WOW POINT also attached to produce. This marks Ryu’s latest collaboration with Yeon, after previously writing 2020’s Peninsula movie, and Netflix’s recently released Parasyte: The Grey series. Besides being described as an action-horror story, further details about the upcoming movie’s plot and characters remained under wraps.
Since directing Train to Busan, and its spinoff sequel Peninsula, Yeon has partnered with Netflix for his most recent projects. His first collaboration with the streamer started with 2021’s Hellbound Season 1, which is a supernatural thriller based on his popular webtoon of the same name. The series begins with the sudden arrival of dark creatures who publicly condemn people to hell. Yeon is currently working on its second installment, which is expected to debut sometime in 2024. Ahead of Hellbound’s return, Yeon also created two more shows for Netflix this year, including the occult thriller The Bequeathed, and the South Korean TV adaptation of Hitoshi Iwaaki’s popular Parasyte manga and anime series.
According to Yeon, working on the Parasyte series was a dream come true for him, especially when he had been a fan of the manga since he was younger. “In my twenties, Parasyte was a staple for those of us who were passionate about manga and animation. Having the opportunity to build upon it and create something new is not only a great honor, but also a dream come true from my younger years.” Starring Jeon So-nee and Koo Kyo-hwan, all six episodes of Parasyte: The Grey are now available for streaming on Netflix.
Due to the critical success and international appeal of Yeon’s Train to Busan, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. have been trying to develop an English remake of the Gong Yoo-led horror drama since 2018. Indonesian horror filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto previously signed on to helm the project back in February 2021, with Annabelle Comes Home director Gary Dauberman attached as the writer. Insidious and The Conjuring creator James Wan is also currently serving as a producer on the remake, which has been titled as The Last Train to New York. Originally slated for an April 2023 theatrical release, there have been no updates regarding the movie’s new release date, after nearly two years since Warner Bros. had removed it from its theatrical release schedule. At the moment, plot and cast details for the English remake of Train to Busan remain under wraps.
