Drishyam, Indian Thriller, Set for English-Language Remake

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“Drishyam,” a hit Indian thriller in which an ordinary man confounds the police in order to protect his family, will be remade in English. Production is by India’s Panorama Studios with U.S. companies Gulfstream Pictures and JOAT Films.

The film was first made in 2013 in the Malayalam language, starring Mohanlal and Meena, before being remade in Hindi with Ajay Devgn and Tabu in the lead roles in 2015. It earned itself a Hindi sequel “Drishyam 2,” in 2022, that grossed some $43 million worldwide.

Panorama, which produced the Hindi version for Viacom18 Motion Pictures, has acquired the international remake rights to “Drishyam 1 & 2” from the original producers, Aashirvad Cinemas, and is settling up multiple international versions. A Korean remake with Anthology Studios was announced in May last year, while Panorama says that a development deal for a Spanish language retread is also close to being finalized. “Sheep Without a Shepherd,” a Chinese version, that did not involve Panorama, was released in 2019 and was a $200 million-grossing hit.

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Kumar Mangat Pathak, Panorama’s chairman and MD, said, “’Drishyam’s’ clever narrative has a universal appeal and we are keen to celebrate this story with audiences worldwide. After Korea and Hollywood, our mission is to produce ‘Drishyam’ in 10 countries in the next three to five years”.

Gulfstream, co-founded by Mike Karz and Bill Bindley, has previously produced the Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore-starring romantic comedy “Blended” and the workplace comedy “Upgraded.”

In a joint statement, Gulfstream’s Karz and Bindley said, “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.”

JOAT was founded by former Warner Bros. production executive in Asia, Jack Nguyen. It now specializes in cross-territorial local language remakes. Nguyen said, “’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.”

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