There have been some incredible offerings from the Korean cinema industry over the last few years, and Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan is up there with the best of them. The 2016 movie provided a fresh and exciting take on the zombie genre and led to a successful franchise. It even inspired other Korean zombie content, with Influenza as the latest in development.
It has recently been reported that there will be a Hollywood remake of the thrilling undead adventure from New Line Cinema, titled The Last Train to New York. It’s clear that the studio wants to capitalize on the popularity of zombies in the mainstream, which can be found everywhere, from television to casino games.
Original Korean Series Has Been Hugely Successful
Due to the popularity of Train to Busan, there have already been two sequels in the series. Seoul Station was an animated spinoff released in the same year as the original, and Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula was a much darker sequel released in 2020. Both main movies can be watched as standalone stories, with the only link being that they are set within the same zombie apocalypse. This gives the franchise a lot of scope to expand in new ways and explore different areas.
Along with the Hollywood adaptation, there are rumors that there will be a third film in the Korean series. There is no title as yet, but it’s likely to follow on from Peninsula and continue some of the threads that were left open at the end of that picture. Sang-ho has also expressed interest in expanding the franchise into television series, but it’s unclear whether this will go ahead.
Casino Industry Highlights Fascination With Zombies in Mainstream
The zombie genre has been around for decades, but it has blown up in recent years. This could be thanks to other media helping to boost it and present it to different audiences. For example, the Walking Dead has been credited with reviving the zombie genre and offering a different perspective on what the end of the world could look like.
In recent times, the online casino industry has also jumped on board and marketed the undead to another demographic. In the bustling slot market, there are countless genres for players to choose from, and zombie games are up there with the most popular. For example, Wild Walker is listed on the Casino Days login page, highlighting how it is a major draw for players. There’s also a generous welcome bonus on offer for people who want to spin the reels.
New Movie Will be a Reimagined Remake
Hollywood filmmakers clearly want to jump on the popularity of zombies and take advantage of it as much as possible, so it makes sense to adapt an already popular movie from Korean cinema. By marketing it in the same franchise as the original, it will attract people who loved that offering as well as new viewers.
According to Bloody Disgusting, the remake was due to be released in 2023. However, this has been pushed back and the release date is yet to be confirmed. There are plenty of details about the movie, though. Timo Tjahjanto is set to direct, with James Wan one of the main producers. The new picture won’t be a direct remake, and instead will serve as a reimagined version of the original. This will allow it to exist within the same universe and act as an extension to the other pictures.
The Last Train to New York is an exciting premise, and it will help the Train to Busan franchise boom among English speaking audiences. The Korean IP is set to get even bigger over the next few years, and there could be more sequels to the original picture.
