Debate Swirls On ‘Train To Busan’ Remake Titled ‘Last Train To New York’

Innocuously tucked away in a Deadline story on upcoming Warner Bros. reboot Under Siege, the possible title for the American remake of the South Korean zombie megahit Train to Busan was revealed as Last Train to New York. Back in 2018, New Line won the rights to remake the film, amid a heated bidding war with Universal, Paramount and Netflix. However, since the remake was first announced, there has been intense debate over the necessity of an American version and its sociocultural implications.

Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016, Train to Busan went on to gross more than $98.5 million worldwide, smashing Korean and regional box office records on the way. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho and starring Gong Yoo, Train to Busan’s story revolves around the survival of a group of passengers as a zombie virus outbreak rages in South Korea. Rising to international acclaim, the film drew praise for its intelligent, nuanced critique of class and domestic politics. Its sequel, Peninsula, racked up more than $48 million at the box office, even as the Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted cinema-going. Most recently, director Yeon launched his six-episode thriller, Hellbound, on Netflix.

Set to helm Last Train to New York is Indonesian director Timo Tjahjanto. He recently directed Netflix’s action thriller The Night Comes for Us and is one half of the Mo Brothers filmmaking duo. He gained recognition through horror and action movies like Macabre, Killers and a segment featured in the V/H/S/2 anthology screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. The producer of Last Train to New York is James Wan, who has spearheaded horror film favorites like the Saw franchise, Insidious and The Conjuring.

Ever since the announcement of the American remake of Train to Busan, many have expressed their bewilderment and displeasure. Remakes can be seen as “whitewashing,” making a foreign language film more accessible and palatable for an English-speaking American audience. In the process, Korean cultural contexts and references which make up the very core of Train to Busan will be lost.

For example, the south-eastern port city of Busan carries a historical gravity as the train’s destination because Busan was seen as safe haven for refugees during the Korean War. This historical connotation of safety and refuge maps onto Train to Busan, providing a reason for the desperate journey undertaken by the train’s passengers. Additionally, the resonance of Train to Busan in Korea can also be attributed to the film’s timely allegorical critique of the incompetent leadership and mismanagement which led to the Sewol ferry tragedy in 2014. It is thus impossible for these layers and nuances to be translated meaningfully in an overseas remake.

Many have also turned to humor online in response. Several pointed out that Train to Busan’s high-speed rail setting is an alien concept in America, with a swathe of tweets making fun of the lackluster train network domestically. The setting of Korea’s high-speed rail is central in the film’s plot, as it is where the main characters encounter the diseased zombies and are dragged into the battle for survival. In response to the criticism, Tjahjanto tweeted the advice he received from producer James Wan, “Timo, we need to rise above & beyond everyone’s expectations, just like other great remakes have done such as The Ring or Dawn of the Dead remake.”