Last Train to New Yorkwas supposed to be the American remake of the Korean zombie movie,Train to Busan, but now there’s a question of whether it will ever happen at all.Train to Busanpremiered in 2016 and quickly became one of thebest zombie movies of the modern, post-2010 era. The Korean horror film, directed by Yeon Sang-ho, stars Gong Yoo as Seok-woo, a workaholic, divorced father who is bringing his estranged daughter, Su-an (Kim Su-an), to Busan to visit her mother for her birthday.
Little does anyone know, a zombie virus is spreading in Korea and the train that Seok-woo and Su-an take toBusan is about to be ground zero for a viral outbreak. An action-packed and story-filled film with plenty of scares and kills,Train to Busanis a consummate example of what the zombie genre can still offer. It led to an animated prequel,Seoul Station, and a sequel,Peninsula. Naturally, American studios wanted a piece of the pie and a remake was quickly announced,Last Train to New York. However, since then, news has been discouraging.
Last Train To New York Was Taken Off Warner Bros.' Release Schedule In 2022
Last Train to New Yorkwas first announced in 2016, the same yearTrain to Busanwas released (viaVariety). Gaumont acquired the rights for an English-language remake. Then, in 2018, New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster, and Coin Operated were announced to be co-producing the remake alongside Warner Bros and Gaumont (viaDeadline). At the same time, Timo Tjahjanto was announced to be in negotiations to direct. An official release date was announced in 2021, setting the Tjahjanto-directed, James Wan-produced movie for an July 24, 2025, release date (viaDeadline).
What Korean Horror Movies Do Differently (& Better) Than U.S. Releases
Korean horror films reveal more about humanity and its reaction to evil, staying away from tropes of unnecessary violence and shock value.
Then, in the middle of 2022, Warner Bros quietly removedLast Train to New Yorkfrom their release schedule, replacing it withEvil Dead Risetaking its place (viaCollider). Since 2022, there’s been no news, and it’s not a great sign that in the in-between years, there have been no updates about filming, cast, or story. The likely reality is that there is just not enough interest in a remake of the film and the project has lost steam over the years. Themodest response to the 2020 sequel,Peninsula, also probably dampened enthusiasm for the remake.
Last Train To New York Shouldn’t Happen
A New York Subway Zombie Movie Would Still Be Great
It’s possible that all this backtracking and delays onLast Train to New Yorkis a good thing. Maybe aTrain to Busanremake doesn’t need to happen at all. Remakes in general are always tricky, and rarely does a remake ever surpass the original. There needs to be a very, very good reason for a remake to happen andan American version of an already modern, excellent horror movie has little reason to exist.Train to Busanis already very good. There isn’t much more that can be squeezed out of the story, setting it in the United States.
Timo Tjahjanto has notably directed segments inV/H/S/2andV/H/S/94.
Last Train to New Yorkfeels like a needless cash grab and one that doesn’t even make much sense considering how easy it is to see foreign movies with subtitles these days. A zombie movie set in the subways of New York City is still an excellent idea, however, and one that should definitely be explored. Why it needs to be under theTrain to Busanbanner is anyone’s guess. In fact,Last Train to New Yorkis barely a similar title. There’s so much room for original zombie movies, soTrain to Busancan and should be left alone.
Train to Busan
Cast
Train to Busan is a South Korean action-horror film released in 2016. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, it centers on passengers aboard an express train from Seoul to Busan during a sudden zombie outbreak. As the virus spreads, the survivors must navigate the chaotic and dangerous environment to reach safety.
