“Oldboy” filmmaker launches production on “Fingersmith” adaptation

PanARMENIAN.Net - “Oldboy” filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s “Fingersmith” adaptation started production near Nagoya, Japan, last week, Variety reports.

A Korean reinterpretation of Sarah Waters’ Victorian-era lesbian novel of the same title, Chan’s movie relocates the scene to Korea and Japan in the 1930s, when Korea was under Japanese occupation. The adaptation is written by Park’s long-term screenwriter Chung Seo-kyung (“Sympathy for Lady Vengeance,” “Thirst”).

“Fingersmith” is Park’s first Korean-language directorial piece in six years, since the Cannes-winning vampire film “Thirst” in 2009. In between he made his English-language debut, the ill-fated “Stoker,” in 2013.

Leading roles go to Kim Min-hee (“No Tears for the Dead”) and Kim Tae-ri, with Ha Jung-woo (“Assassination”) the male lead.

The film is co-produced by Park’s Moho Film and producer Lee Yong-seung’s Yong Film. The production budget is set at KRW 11 billion ($9.94 million), excluding P&A.

Other regular Park collaborators onboard include cinematographer Jeong Jeong-hun (“Oldboy,” “Thirst”) and production designer Ryu Seong-hee (“I’m a Cyborg, but That’s OK,” “Thirst”).

Production is to run for a minimum of 70 days. The completed film is set for a 2016 release.