Korean ‘Host’ to Have Sequel, Not Remake

Posted by Paige MacGregor (paige@filmschoolrejects.com) on July 2, 2008

The Host

Oldboy (2003). High Tension (2003). The Host (2006). What do all of these films have in common? Two things: 1. they all kick some serious ass, and 2. they are all pretty sweet foreign horror films that haven’t, to my knowledge, been fodder for crappy U.S. remakes.

Luckily for us, Korean production and distribution company Chungeorahm and China’s Stone Man Films has decided to co-produce a Chinese (read: not U.S.) sequel to the Korean hit The Host. The Host’s planned sequel will be helmed and scripted by China’s Ning Hao (Crazy Stone, 2006), and production credits are shared by Chungeorahm (try to say that out loud) producer Choi Yong-bae and Daniel Yu (who produced Crazy Stone while working for Hong Kong’s Focus Films).

Although the project is unnamed as of yet, Variety seems to have an incredibly detailed description of its projected plot, reporting that the movie will revolve around a “calamity” that ensues when “people ignore a monster due to their desire for money.” The original film, The Host, follows the events that occur after a careless morgue empties hundreds of bottles of formaldehyde into the sewers near Seoul’s Han River, a terrifying mutant with a taste for blood is born and begins wreaking havoc on the city, causing an international crisis between South Korean and the American government after a U.S. marine contracts a strange and mysterious disease by coming into contact with the creature.

At the time of its release, The Host was seen by 12 million people and grossed $60.6 million dollars, pointing to a strong interest that the sequel’s producer, Choi Yong-bae, recently commented on, saying, “Chinese film markets are driven by blockbusters with themes of epic drama and martial arts. It’s time to provide more varied types of commercial films.” Shooting for the sequel is expected to begin early next year for a release date towards the end of 2009.

Did you see The Host? What do you think about the sequel?

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Jason Reneau

The Host was awesome, I tried getting friends to watch it after I bought the DVD but they weren't into it, but I thought it was different and pretty cool, wouldn't mind seeing a sequel.

Paige MacGregor

It's awesome to come across someone else who's actually seen and enjoyed it!

Chris

I LOVED the original film, one of the best monster movies out there, and that's mainly due to the family themes that dominate the story. I believed these people, and I cared wether or not they survived. The only thing that really sorta annoyed me was some of the comedic tone during the film (the scene with the picture of the little girl in the gymnasium was a little too much). Other than that, a pitch perfect film.

As for a sequel? I'll give it a shot. I'm kinda wary seeing how the original director isn't involved, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

Chris

Oh yeah... last I heard, Oldboy and The Host were due for Americanized remakes.

Sorry Paige.

Rob Hunter

Good call on "The Host" and "Oldboy"... both incredibly brilliant and entertaining movies. "High Tension" rocked until the stupefyingly lame "twist". I shudder at the thought of remakes of the two Korean films.

And if you haven't seen it yet, check out Joon-ho Bong's amazing "Memories of Murder" which he made before "The Host". Fincher's "Zodiac" reminded me of it quite a bit, and I loved "Zodiac".

The Comedian

Saw The Host twice in theaters and couldn't get enough. Bought it on dvd. Though, I felt that the part in the end where the beast is on fire looked like the graphics team ran out of money. Know anything about that? I too found the characters believable and endearing. God that was a good movie. Screw Cloverfield. Though I was entertained by Cloverfield, it doesn't bring up the kinda helpful chatter that The Host might exorcise from people.

Loved High Tension, some graphic shit in there. Ever think about how the violence doesn't start till after that girl masturbates. That can give quite an odd SM feel to the movie. Why does Aja do that? Any thoughts?

Oldboy was genius though sad. Saw it a while ago, thus nothing wiley to say about it right now, except that hammer scene is nuts.

Oh, I would watch a sequel I guess, but I am curious how it would tie in to The Host.

Thanks Paige as always.

Korean ‘Host’ to Have Sequel, Not Remake

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