According to the Korea Times, films released in Korea this year such as "Pilot", "Handsome Guys", "Hear Me: Our Summer" and "Hidden Face" have one thing in common: they are remakes of foreign films.
By skillfully adapting these stories to fit the Korean context, these remakes have been well received by audiences and are becoming a trend in the Korean film industry.
Among them, the two movies "Pilot" and "Handsome Guys" are popular in Korean and Vietnamese theaters and are remakes of Swedish and Hollywood movies.
"Pilot" - a comedy starring Jo Jung Suk - is a remake of the 2012 Swedish film "Cockpit", telling the story of talented pilot Han Jung Woo - who becomes unemployed overnight and has to borrow his sister's identity to apply for a job.
The film needed 2.2 million admissions to break even, but was a huge success, attracting over 4.7 million admissions and grossing $31.8 million.
"Handsome Guys" is also a Korean remake, based on the 2010 American black comedy "Tucker & Dale vs Evil".
The film stars Lee Sung Min and Lee Hee Joon and had an average production budget of 4.6 billion won (3.27 million USD). However, upon its release, the film achieved positive results, attracting about 1.77 million viewers and earning 14.4 million USD.
Korean newspapers commented that both of the above films prove that creating a blockbuster film requires many different conditions and investing a large amount of capital does not necessarily guarantee success.
However, the adaptations can still resonate with audiences by skillfully combining the original plot with stories and settings that are distinctly Korean. Along with that, the charming acting of the cast is also a key factor in success.
In addition to "Pilot" and "Handsome Guys", another Korean film adaptation, "Hear Me: Our Summer", is also enjoying success at the box office. The film is a remake of the 2010 Taiwanese (Chinese) film "Hear Me", about a young couple who become closer after communicating through sign language.
In addition, on November 20, "Hidden Face" - a remake of the 2011 Colombian film will also hit theaters. The Korean version is the fourth remake of the original, following remakes made in India, Türkiye and Mexico.
The film tells the story of orchestra conductor Seong Jin (Song Seung Hun), who is searching for Soo Yeon (Cho Yeo Jeong), his missing cellist and fiancee.
At the same time, Seong Jin is attracted to Mi Joo (Park Ji Hyun) - Soo Yeon's replacement. He thinks his fiancee just disappeared, but in fact she is trapped in a secret space in their house, monitoring what is happening around Seong Jin.
The film is attracting attention before its release as film fans expect director Kim Dae Woo - best known for his works "Forbidden Quest" (2006), "The Servant" (2010) and "Obsessed" (2014), to show his unique color.
