"What Makes a Good Adult"... 'The Intern' Reborn as a Korean Adaptation

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The movie 'The Intern', which drew major attention with the story of a 30-something CEO and a 70-year-old intern, has been remade into a Korean version. Actor Choi Minsik, who took on the role of the intern, reportedly showed special affection for this film.

Reporter Lee Joo-hyoung has the story.

[Reporter]

If Robert De Niro, who earned fame starring in 70s masterpieces like 'The Godfather', is popular even among today's younger generation, it is likely because of this film.

[Hello, Jules. I'm Ben, your new intern. (This must feel a bit funny for you.) It's hard not to.]

'The Intern'.

The story of a 70-year-old intern assisting a 30-something female CEO recorded 3.6 million moviegoers in South Korea alone, marking the highest box office hit outside of the United States.

The first remake of this film, which showed both the older and younger generations what a true adult—rather than an overbearing "kkondae"—looks like, has been produced in Korea.

This comes 11 years after its release.

Actor Choi Minsik, in his mid-60s, plays the role originally held by Robert De Niro, while actor Han So-hee takes on the role originally played by Anne Hathaway, who is the same age as Anne was when the original film was released.

[Who is this formidable person? (The new intern who joined today.) My direct subordinate? (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 Minsik who revived the project.

Actor Choi, who was considered an irreplaceable casting choice from the beginning, expressed his intention to remain in the film even after years had passed.

[Choi Minsik / Actor: Choi Minsik and Han So-hee are doing it, so differentiation will naturally happen. Because it contains our own story.]

[Han So-hee / Actor: Throughout the filming, the senior actor caught and guided us through really detailed and minute things that we might have missed.]

While keeping the framework of the original film almost intact, the Korean adaptation adds local elements to show that life requires both youthful challenge and aged experience.

[Kim Doyoung / Director: It is a story about how you communicate, understand, and ultimately build trust with people who have put different labels on you, like MZ generation, old-crick, or young-crick.]

The conclusion Choi Minsik reached, as a person before being an actor, is this:

[Choi Minsik / Actor: What does it mean to live as a good adult? I think it just means living my life well. It's not about trying hard to look good to younger people, but thinking, "I am aging really well."]

(Video reporting: Choi Hojeon | Video editing: Lee Seungjin | Design: Seo Seunghyeon | Footage provided by Warner Bros.)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.