Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite has been a true awards season darling and has received near universal praise. The film is poised to hear its name a few times when Oscar nominations are announced next week and with that huge feat on the horizon, it looks like there are plans to take the story to the small screen.
HBO is in negotiations for a limited series based on the film. The project would come from Joon-Ho, CJ Entertainment, the studio behind the feature film, Adam McKay’s Hyperobject Industries and Dooho Choi’s Kate Street Picture Company.
Reportedly, the television project was a hot commodity, sparking interest from many streaming services (Netflix being a front runner) but Joon-Ho ultimately chose to set up the project at HBO, which has a strong track record in limited series — from Band of Brothers to Big Little Lies — and team up with Succession executive producer McKay, who is under a first-look deal at HBO/HBO Max.
The film, which revolves around the members of a poor family who together scheme to work in a wealthy household by posing as unrelated, highly qualified help, has become a true sensation in every sense of the word. The film has grossed $130 million worldwide ($24 million from the States) which is nearly unheard of for a foreign film in this current box office climate. The movie has solidified itself as a film “you need to see” which has only upped its profile.
The praise for Parasite began by winning the Palme d’Or in Cannes last May and it has taken that momentum to winning for Best Foreign Language Film at Sunday’s Golden Globes, where it also had nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay. The movie is shortlisted for the Best International Feature Oscar and has already taken home an armful of prizes from critics bodies, including the top honor from the National Society of Film Critics.
