According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, HBO beat out Netflix for the rights to a limited series spinoff of Parasite, one of the most acclaimed movies of 2019. While a deal is not done yet, HBO now has the first rights to the project.
Winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and an Oscar hopeful for Best Picture, Parasite was directed by Bong Joon Ho. For the limited series, Bong is teaming with Adam McKay, who has recently earned multiple awards nominations for his work on The Big Short and Vice. Bong is the filmmaker behind such popular films as Host, Snowpiercer, and Okja.
The South Korean film Parasite followed the poor but clever Kim family as its members worked their way into the good graces of their wealthy employers, the Park family. After several twists in the relationship between the two clans, the film ultimately has deadly consequences.
Seen as a take on class warfare and a genre thriller, Parasite has earned more than $23 million at the domestic box office and $130 million worldwide. It has already won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language and has generated significant Oscar buzz.
It’s unclear if the limited series will be a sequel to the film, an English-language remake, or something else entirely. What is clear, however, is that the limited series will be in English, whatever the creative direction may be.
Bong and McKay will also executive produce the limited series, alongside Kate Street Picture Company’s Dooho Choi and CJ Entertainment’s Miky Lee Cho Young Ki, and Francis Chun. McKay’s producing partner Kevin Messick will also be an executive producer.
McKay is no stranger to working with HBO. He has previously worked on series including Eastbound & Down and Funny or Die Presents, and serves as executive producer and director for the newly minted Golden Globe-winning drama Succession. He will also lead the recently ordered scripted drama series about the Los Angeles Lakers and is currently working on a limited series focused on Jeffrey Epstein as part of his five-year, first-look deal with the premium network. This will be his first time teaming with Bong.
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