Horror maestro James Wan (The Conjuring, Insidious) is finally pulling back the curtain on his long-delayed Train to Busan movie, The Last Train to New York. And good news, zombie fans – he’s explaining exactly how this movie connects to the chilling 2016 Korean zombie hit!
Same Apocalypse, Different City
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Wan clarified that The Last Train to New York isn’t a remake, but rather a separate story set at the same time as the Korean original, a spin-off, if you will. “Creatively, it takes place in the same world as Train to Busan,” the filmmaker explained. “It’s happening epidemically around the world. So if Train to Busan is this particular slice of the story in South Korea, we want Train to New York to be the one set in America.” So, envision parallel zombie outbreaks, hitting different corners of the globe simultaneously!
A “Passion Project” Still in the Works
Despite this exciting vision, the project has been slow-moving. Warner Bros. delayed the film indefinitely by removing it from its planned release calendar entirely (it was initially slated for April 2023). Still, Wan insists the film is “definitely still a passion project of ours.”
He added, “Everything about it is fascinating. I hope that it can get off the ground eventually. Got to be honest with you, I’m not quite sure where it sits right now.”
Train to Busan, directed by Yeon Sang-ho (Parasite, Hellbound). It debuted in 2016. It follows Seok-woo (Gong Yoo). He boards a train to Busan with his daughter, only to find himself trapped amidst a zombie apocalypse. The English-language remake rights were acquired by French film company Gaumont in 2016, with Wan’s Atomic Monster production house joining forces with New Line Cinema and Coin Operated, and Warner Bros. distributing the film.
Wan’s Future Plans
The future of The Last Train to New York remains to be seen, as Wan is busy with other projects. “I’m developing two or three projects right now and for me to direct eventually,” he mentioned. “So some of them are still too early to even talk about, but I’m definitely cooking away at things and just taking the time right now to cook away on them. I think it’s important to have the luxury and the time to focus on the script and get things right before I dive into anything.”
We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the spin-off will pull into the station sooner rather than later. In the meantime, if you somehow missed it or want to re-watch Train to Busan, you can find it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, and Netflix.
