Hollywood continues to seek Korean content. After the multiple sales of remake rights of Korean films, Hollywood is adapting the renowned Korean 'manwha' (comparable to the Japanese 'manga' and the equivalent of the comic strip) "Priest" for the big screen. "Priest" will be the first Korean manwha adaptation by Hollywood. The project is in the hands of horror master Sam Raimi who produces the film. The film is expected to open in cinemas in 2008.
"Priest" is translated in English and goes head to head with the popular English translated Japanese mangas in foreign countries. HYEONG Min-woo's manwha "Priest" distinguishes itself through its stylistic visuals and inventive story set-up, horror in a western setting.
The main character Ivan was adopted as a young boy by a single father who hoped that the kind-hearted boy could open-up the closed heart of his young daughter who lost her mother. The girl does lower her cynical shield and the two grow close. However, when they become young adults they fall in love with each other. Ivan runs away from this impossible situation by going far away and by becoming a "Priest".
He looses his faith when a demon kills the woman he loves and sells his soul to a rival demon. The main storyline is about Ivan setting out with his new powers to seek revenge against the demon and his 'army' who killed his loved one before the other devil he sold his soul to will fully own and take over his soul.
"Priest" will be helmed by Andrew Douglas (The Amityville Horror). It's not confirmed yet, but Gerard Butler is rumored to play the protagonist. Butler rose to fame this year as the Spartan king Leonidas in the spectacular film 300, an adaptation of a Frank Miller graphic novel.
Sam Raimi is well known as a director of the Spiderman films. His credentials also include numerous horror films. Raimi – as a producer - was involved in the remakes of several Asian horror productions, including the Japanese horror title The Grudge. He also gave the Hong Kong brothers Oxide and Danny Pang their Hollywood debut as directors of the horror film The Messengers (Korean release later this month). The Messengers story fails to reach the standards of the visual imagination of the Pang brothers, which shouldn't be a problem with the adaptation of "Priest".
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