Bong Joon Ho and Adam McKay Are Turning Parasite into an HBO Limited Series

In a revelation already inspiring vigorous debate in particularly film-nerdy corners of the internet, Parasite writer-director Bong Joon Ho is teaming up with Vice and The Big Short filmmaker Adam McKay to turn Paste’s top film of 2019 into an English-language limited series, with negotiations currently underway to bring the project to HBO. The pay-cable network beat out Netflix in a bidding war for the rights to Parasite, per THR.

It’s currently unclear whether the limited series will take the form of a sequel or a remake, an uncertainty that would be far more harrowing if Bong himself weren’t personally involved in the project. Regardless, admirers of the filmmaker and his masterwork were quick to cry foul on Thursday afternoon, bemoaning McKay’s involvement (he’s not everyone’s cup of tea) and the perceived repackaging of a perfectly good Korean film.

Parasite is the highest-grossing film of Bong’s career with more than $130 million worldwide, and it won the best foreign language film award at last weekend’s Golden Globes. Despite the overwhelming impediment (heavy sarcasm here) that is its subtitles—a nonissue Bong mocked lazy viewers for being turned off by during his Globes acceptance speech—Parasite is sitting pretty going into next week’s Oscar nominations, with more buzz than just about any other contending title.

Both Bong and McKay will executive produce the new Parasite project alongside Kate Street Picture Company’s Dooho Choi, CJ Entertainment’s Miky Lee, Cho Young Ki and Jerry Ko, Francis Chung and McKay’s Hyperbole Industries Kevin Messick. Fred Lee will produce for CJ.

Watch the trailer for Parasite below.