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Oldboy's Park Chan-wook to Direct TV Adaptation of Pulitzer-winning "The Sympathizer", produced by A24 and starring Robert Downey Jr.

Saudade

Saudade

Member
Oct 26, 2017
396



Novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen announced on social media this week (via Vulture) that his Pulitzer Prize-winning 2016 book "The Sympathizer" is getting a television series adaptation, courtesy of Park Chan-wook and A24. The project will bring Park Chan-wook back to television following his 2018 limited series "The Little Drummer Girl," which starred Florence Pugh, Alexander Skarsgård, and Michael Shannon.

A hybrid of historical fiction and the spy genre, "The Sympathizer" centers around a mole from North Vietnam embedded in the South Vietnamese army.
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Dayum, Park Chan-wook, Viet Thanh Nguyen and A24 are 3 things I very much like to see together in a sentence. After being disappointed with Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods last year (Viet did a whole watch-along twitter thread and article that pointed out some of its problems), I'd love to see the Vietnam War portrayed through less an US-centric POV and more a nuanced Vietnamese POV. And Viet's The Sympathizer offers just that - it's prob my favorite Pulitzer winner for fiction of the 2010s.

Haven't seen The Little Drummer Girl so I don't know how good Park Chan-wook is with the TV medium, but at least he's kinda in familiar territory, having done JSA in the past. It's also good that the pretty long, sorta episodic novel doesn't get crammed into a single movie.
 
OnanieBomb

OnanieBomb

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,488
Oh shit. I just finished reading The Committed and was wondering if they would try to adapt these books to film.

So much substance in the books comes from the interior thoughts and rambling diatribes of the narrator so I wonder how that will translate. The events themselves should be enough though. When he is on the Hollywood set of some Vietnam movie...crazy. These books definitely rearranged by understanding and perspective of the Vietnam war.
 
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Kyonashi

Kyonashi

Member
Oct 24, 2017
862
UK
Phenomenal filmography but I won't lie, found The Little Drummer Girl fairly uninteresting. Hopefully this turns out well and it's not just that TV isn't his format.
 
krazen

krazen

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,155
Gentrified Brooklyn
Saudade said:





Dayum, Park Chan-wook, Viet Thanh Nguyen and A24 are 3 things I very much like to see together in a sentence. After being disappointed with Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods last year (Viet did a whole watch-along twitter thread and article that pointed out some of its problems), I'd love to see the Vietnam War portrayed through less an US-centric POV and more a nuanced Vietnamese POV. And Viet's The Sympathizer offers just that - it's prob my favorite Pulitzer winner for fiction of the 2010s.

Haven't seen The Little Drummer Girl so I don't know how good Park Chan-wook is with the TV medium, but at least he's kinda in familiar territory, having done JSA in the past. It's also good that the pretty long, sorta episodic novel doesn't get crammed into a single movie.
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Drummer girl was great; biggest issue was that the ending was a bit limp as if they had to rush the plot into closure, but I have a feeling it was due to the source material/script. Up until that last episode it was great, and even that last episode was objectively well made. Dude is going to murder this; he's got my streaming dollars.
 
valuv

valuv

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,605
I like some korean cinema but I don't think I'll ever get the love for him. Handmaiden's probably the only thing I liked but I wasn't exactly wowed by it.
 
OP
OP
Saudade

Saudade

Member
Oct 26, 2017
396
wild wild rice said:
Oh shit. I just finished reading The Committed and was wondering if they would try to adapt these books to film.

So much substance in the books comes from the interior thoughts and rambling diatribes of the narrator so I wonder how that will translate. The events themselves should be enough though. When he is on the Hollywood set of some Vietnam movie...crazy. These books definitely rearranged by understanding and perspective of the Vietnam war.
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Wow I didn't realize he had a sequel to The Sympathizer coming out, gotta get on that ASAP. Hope it's a worthy successor to The Sympathizer.

As for the internal monologue, I think Park Chan-wook could use something similar to what he did with Oldboy, which also has a lot of that. But then again it's been almost 2 decade since that film now so he prob got some new tricks up his sleeves.

wingkongex said:
I should re-watch Handmaiden. Man what a movie.
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Yup you totally should. I rewatched that recently but with the Extended Cut and appreciated the film even more than before.
 
skeezx

skeezx

Member
Oct 27, 2017
20,170
oh damn i loved that book. iffy about the prospect of a film adaptation but it's doable i suppose
 
OnanieBomb

OnanieBomb

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,488
Saudade said:
Wow I didn't realize he had a sequel to The Sympathizer coming out, gotta get on that ASAP. Hope it's a worthy successor to The Sympathizer.
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It's out already! I think in some ways it's better but certain things rubbed me the wrong way. Absolute must read if you enjoyed The Sympathizer though.
 
MrPink

MrPink

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,300
deadline.com

Robert Downey Jr. To Co-Star In Drama Series Adaptation Of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s ‘The Sympathizer’ For HBO And A24; Park Chan-wook Directing

Sources tell Deadline HBO has ordered the A24 limited series adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer-Prizer winning novel The Sympathizer with Robert Downey Jr. attached to co-star in the series.
deadline.com deadline.com

Robert Downey Jr is joining the cast

The project marks the first role for Downey Jr. since his final appearance as the iconic Tony Stark aka Iron Man and the Oscar-nominee has been particular since the end of his run. After weighing several offers, sources say what made this role so appealing besides an incredible story, was the opportunity to show his incredible range as an actor. According to insiders, Downey Jr., is set to play multiple supporting roles as the main antagonists, all of whom represent a different arm of the American establishment — including an up-and-coming Orange County Congressman, a CIA agent and a Hollywood film director, among others.

"Adapting Mr. Nguyen's important and masterful work requires a visionary team. With Director Park at the helm, I expect this to be a creative producing adventure for Susan, me and Team Downey, and a stimulating process for myself in playing these complex supporting roles. A24 and HBO are the perfect combination of partners and co-parents… It's exactly the type of challenge I've been craving, and I believe we will deliver an exceptional viewing experience to our audience."
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KillLaCam

KillLaCam

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,388
Seoul
So I love Park Chan Wook, but is Robert downy jr good? I've literally only seen him in marvel stuff and as a black guy lol
 
Window

Window

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,283
Downey's also great in A Scanner Darkly but I don't know if he has it in him anymore.

Thought Little Drummer Girl was absorbing and well made so Park Chan-wook definitely adapted well to the TV format.
 
Pau

Pau

Self-Appointed Godmother of Bruce Wayne's Children
Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,847
I've read Viet Thanh Nguyen's short story collection and really enjoyed it. Got to get on The Sympathizer.
 
pechorin

pechorin

Banned
Apr 13, 2020
2,572
The Little Drummer Girl was so convoluted, imo and quality wise doesn't come anywhere near his movies. But it's only one example so I'm willing to see this series will be any better.
 
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