[Anchor]
The movie 'The Intern', which created a global buzz with the story of a 30-something CEO and a 70-year-old intern, has been remade in Korea for the first time. The Korean version is said to carry a special meaning.
Reporter Lee Joo-hyoung has the details.
[Reporter]
If Robert De Niro, who gained fame starring in 70s masterpieces like 'The Godfather', is popular even among the younger generation today, it is likely because of this film.
[Hello, Jules. I'm Ben, your new intern. (This must feel a bit funny.) It's hard not to.]
'The Intern'.
The story of a 70-year-old intern assisting a female CEO in her 30s drew 3.6 million moviegoers in Korea alone, recording the highest box office hit outside the United States.
The first remake of this film, which showed the image of an adult rather than a nagging older boss to both the older and younger generations, has emerged in Korea.
It has been 11 years since its original release.
Actor Choi Min-shik, in his mid-60s, takes on the role originally played by Robert De Niro, while actor Han So-hee, who is the same age as Anne Hathaway was when the original film was released, takes on Hathaway's role.
[Who is this intimidating person? (She's the new intern who started today.) My direct report? (Me?)]
Warner Bros., which holds the intellectual property rights, pulled out of Korean film production during the COVID-19 pandemic, seemingly putting the Korean version of 'The Intern' in jeopardy. However, Warner sources noted that it was practically actor Choi Min-shik who revived the project.
He was irreplaceable from the start, and Choi expressed his intention to remain committed to the project even years later.
[Choi Min-shik / Actor: If Choi Min-shik does it and Han So-hee does it, differentiation will naturally be achieved. Because it captures our own stories.]
[Han So-hee / Actor: Throughout filming, the senior actor caught and guided us through really detailed and meticulous parts that we might have missed.]
While keeping the framework of the original largely intact, the Korean version adds local Korean elements to show that life requires both the bold challenges of youth and the experience of age.
[Kim Do-young / Director: It's a story about how people label each other—you are MZ generation, old-cranks, or young-cranks—yet manage to communicate, understand, and ultimately build trust.]
The conclusion reached by Choi Min-shik, as a human being before being an actor, is this:
[Choi Min-shik / Actor: What does it mean to live as a good adult? I think it just comes down to living my life well. It's not necessarily about trying to look good to young people, but feeling that I am aging well myself.]
(Camera: Choi Ho-jun | Video Editing: Lee Seung-jin | Design: Seo Seung-hyun | Footage courtesy of Warner Bros.)
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