Hollywood remake of 'Drishyam' in the works

Mumbai: Production house Panorama Studios on Thursday said it has teamed up with Gulfstream Pictures and JOAT Films for the Hollywood remake of the Drishyam franchise.

Panorama Studios has acquired the international remake rights to the Malayalam movies Drishyam 1 and 2 from the original producers Aashirvad Cinemas.

The film series is also being developed in South Korea as well as a development deal is being finalised for a Spanish language version, the banner said in a release.

Kumar Mangat Pathak, Chairman and Managing Director, Panorama Studios, said he is excited to celebrate the story of Drishyam with audiences worldwide.

"We are very happy to collaborate with Gulfstream Pictures and JOAT Films to create this story in English for Hollywood. After Korea and Hollywood, our mission is to produce Drishyam in 10 countries in the next three to five years," he said in a statement.

"We have received immense love from our Indian audiences, who have made the Drishyam franchise a massive success. The strength of Drishyam lies in its story, and we want it to be enjoyed by audiences globally," added producer Abhishek Pathak, who also directed Drishyam 2 (Hindi).

Drishyam, the 2013 Malayalam crime thriller, revolved around Georgekutty (Mohanlal) and his family, who come under suspicion when Varun Prabhakar, the son of the IG Geetha Prabhakar, goes missing. The movie was written and directed by Jeethu Joseph.

Mike Karz and Bill Bindley of Gulfstream Pictures, the banner behind Blended and Upgraded, said they are happy to collaborate with Panorama Studios and JOAT Films on the English language adaptation of Drishyam.

"The film is a timeless thriller that has entranced audiences across the globe. We can't wait to bring the movie to fans here in the US," Karz and Bindley said in a joint statement.

Jack Nguyen, founder of JOAT Films, described Drishyam as a unique yet enduring story.

"The story has clearly resonated with audiences worldwide as evidenced by the numerous remakes it has spawned. Gulfstream, Panorama and JOAT are excited to have the opportunity to present our take on this cleverly crafted thriller to audiences globally," Nguyen said.

While the Korean and English versions are in the works, Drishyam has also been remade in languages such as Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Sinhala and Mandarin.