Train To Busan And Peninsula Director Teases Ideas For A Third Zombie Movie
Korean filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho completely revitalized the zombie subgenre with 2016's "Train to Busan." The film was as much a thrilling action horror film as it was a heartbreaking examination of fatherhood pushed to the absolute brink. It's now considered one of the best zombie films ever made, and Yeon Sang-ho has become one of the most sought after horror directors working today. Following the success of "Train to Busan," Sang-ho released the animated prequel "Seoul Station," and the high-octane live-action sequel, "Peninsula." His latest project, "Hellbound" is the newest horror success series on Netflix, focusing on a nation under attack by supernatural creatures condemning souls to hell, leading to the rise of religious cults with nefarious intentions. In a recent interview with Variety talking about a possible season 2 of "Hellbound," Sang-ho let it slip that he's interested in a possible third live-action installment of his zombie series:
"I believe that the zombie genre is very traditional but at the same time, depending on what you bring to that, it can be completely new. Personally, I do have some ideas in terms of further development of what happens after 'Peninsula,' but as for whether I will create that into a film, it's something that I do want to do."
Yang-ho has proven with both "Hellbound" and the Korean series "The Cursed" that he's more than capable of long-form serialized storytelling, but as he continued, "a film series would be the most feasible."
Possible Future Collaborations
While he's not letting loose what's coming next post-"Hellbound," we know that Sang-ho has plenty of irons in the fire. "However, because there are a lot of productions that I'm working on currently, I'm thinking that I have to sort of organize the ideas and work on what I have to work on," he told Variety. "Up until now I have been someone who's been an individual creator, but these days I'm thinking that maybe I need to come up with a system in order to really bring all of my creative visions to life." Yeon Sang-ho has written for plenty of projects, but everything he's directed has also been something he's written or adapted.
"Train to Busan" and "Peninsula" told stories centered on the same zombie outbreak, but with "Busan" a more intimate look in an enclosed space and "Peninsula" a massive expansion of a world gone mad. As for this possible new film, Sang-ho said:
"The story that I'm thinking about after that would be closer to 'Train to Busan,' where the story will be carried out in a small and restricted space. So in terms of the genre, you could say that it's between 'Train to Busan' and 'Peninsula.'"
Regardless of what form the film takes, any film that lets Yeon Sang-ho explore the post-apocalyptic world of zombies is a good thing.