CJ Entertainment, Korea’s leading entertainment conglomerate has tapped award winning director, Deon Taylor (Black and Blue) to direct the gothic horror/thriller Grave Hill, the studio’s English-language remake of the popular Vietnamese horror film The Housemaid.
RELATED: Deon Taylor Filmed Ensemble Horror Pic Don’t Fear in Quarantine
Released in 2016 to strong reviews from critics for its exploration of racial and social themes in a period/romance/horror setting, The Housemaid was written and directed by Derek Nguyen and produced by Timothy Linh Bui, which CJ Entertainment financed and produced. The remake, titled Grave Hill, will stay true to this concept, taking place in the American South during the Reconstruction Era.
“Having the opportunity to work with CJ Entertainment is absolutely a dream come true,” Taylor said in a statement. “The collaboration they created with Bong Joon Ho and the film Parasite was incredible. I truly believe Grave Hill is a special, elevated thriller that will speak to social themes we are dealing with today and simultaneously push audiences to the edge of their seats just like the original version did. This is a rare film and I’m very excited to bring it to life with CJ and team!”
Click here to purchase the original film!
The script for the adaptation is being penned by Oscar winner Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious) alongside Nguyen, with CJ Entertainment again financing, developing and producing the project with Group Vice Chairwoman Miky Lee, Jinnie Choi and Jerry Ko executive producing alongside Hidden Empire’s Roxanne Taylor and Motor’s Sean Sorensen. Don Handfield is set to produce the film via his Motor production banner alongside original producer Linh Bui for Happy Canvas, Nguyen and CJ Entertainment’s Yeonu Choi.
“Deon is a filmmaker who will absolutely push boundaries and challenge sensibilities when it comes to elevating a story – particularly those rooted in suspense with social and racial themes,” Jerry Ko, CJ Entertainment’s Head of International Division, said in a statement. “His creative vision for Grave Hill involves stepping far beyond the ordinary to retell a haunting story that’s different from anything audiences have seen before.”
RELATED: Selena Gomez, 21 Laps & STX Team for Horror-Thriller Dollhouse
Grave Hill is being eyed to begin principal photography in early 2021.
