WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY INKS FIRST-LOOK ASIA FILM DEAL WITH JACK NGUYEN
August 5, 2024 4:34 pmKorean remake of The Intern kicks off collaboration
Warner Bros. Discovery [WBD] today announced that it has signed a first-look deal with Jack Nguyen, a former Warner Bros. executive, through his company JOAT Films.
Under the deal, Nguyen will present Asia-focused film projects to Warner Bros., with an emphasis on local-language remakes of the global studio’s English-language films. He will co-produce with local partners in various markets across APAC, including Korea and India. The deal’s first project is a Korean remake of the 2015 comedy-drama The Intern.
Kurt Rieder, SVP, Head of Theatrical Distribution, APAC, WBD said: “Jack is an industry veteran with a second to none understanding of the film production business across Asia. There is a strong appetite for remakes of universally popular Hollywood stories across the region, and we look forward to working with Jack to bring these to life through a new local lens.”
Nguyen said: “It should come as no surprise that I have a great deal of respect and loyalty to Warner Bros. after spending the majority of my career there. I’m honored to be entrusted with some of their valuable IP to produce high-quality local language remakes with the best filmmakers in those countries. In addition, I want to showcase new and talented filmmakers by finding “diamond in the rough” projects that deserve attention on the world stage. I’m excited to embark on this new chapter with the most storied studio in Hollywood.”
Nguyen is a former 30-year veteran of Warner Bros., where he supervised local language activity primarily in the Asia and Latin America regions, and led market entries into China, India, Japan, and Korea. During his tenure, he oversaw the business that produced the Japanese films Letters from Iwo Jima, the Rurouni Kenshin franchise, and Yurusarezaru Mono, the remake of Clint Eastwood’s Oscar winner Unforgiven. In Korea, Warner Bros. produced and distributed the blockbuster The Age of Shadows, Korea’s submission for the Oscars’ Best Foreign Language Film in 2017, and The Witch, among other commercial successes.
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Contact:
Selina Govan
Head of Communications, APAC, WBD
Categorised in: Industry News, Member News
This post was written by Warner Bros. Discovery