The thriller franchise Drishyam is all set to go global after garnering success in both India and China markets. Producers Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak announced the Korean remake of the franchise at the Cannes Film Festival 2023, and now Panorama Studios have joined hands with Gulfstream Pictures and JOAT Films to make Drishyam in Hollywood, a first for an Indian film.

Drishyam to be made for Hollywood and Korean markets

Gulfstream Pictures, co-founded by Mike Karz and Bill Bindley, have previously produced Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore starrer film Blended which reunited and Camila Mendes starrer Upgraded. JOAT Films, founded by Jack Nguyen specialises in cross-territorial local language remakes.

Kumar Mangat Pathak, Chairman and Managing Director, Panorama Studios shares, “Drishyam's clever narrative has a universal appeal and we are keen to celebrate this story 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”.

Producer Abhishek Pathak who also directed Drishyam 2 shares, “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. We are very happy to collaborate with Gulfstream Pictures and JOAT Films, who will take this franchise forward in English for the US and other international Hollywood markets.”

Other international markets to be explored

Drishyam is being developed in the US and Korea and a development deal is being finalised for a Spanish language version. In addition, other countries are being considered. In a joint statement, Mike Karz and Bill Bindley of Gulfstream Pictures share, “We are very happy to collaborate with Panorama Studios and JOAT Films on an 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 U.S."

Jack Nguyen, founder of JOAT Films, shares, 'Drishyam has a unique yet enduring story. It combines drama, emotional highs and lows in a riveting cat and mouse tale and our adaptation will undoubtedly keep audiences on the edge of their seats. 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.”

While the Korean and English versions are in the making, the remake of the Malayalam film has had a successful run in various languages, including Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Sinhala and Chinese. This is indeed a big win for the Malayalam film industry, which has a penchant for producing great crime thrillers like Joji, Virus and Nayattu.