Hollywood is increasingly turning to Korean storytelling beyond K-dramas and K-pop, with studios seeking rights to original literary works and older cult properties. Disney is developing The DallerGut Dream Department Store, a fantasy novel by Lee Mi-ye, into a live-action movie with Patrick Ness writing the screenplay. The trend also includes English-Korean film projects, remakes of Korean cult hits, and two-way studio deals between Korean and U.S. companies.
Author Lee Mi-ye, right, and the cover of her fantasy novel "DallerGut Dream Department Store" / Courtesy of Factory Nine, Kyobo Book Centre
Hollywood is showing a growing interest in Korean storytelling that goes beyond K-dramas and K-pop, and the latest adaptation project highlights this expanding focus.
While Hollywood previously focused on acquiring finished series for streaming platforms or remaking proven box-office hits, major studios and publishers are now reaching further upstream. Instead of relying solely on mainstream hits, they are trying to secure rights to original literary works and older cult properties to rebuild stories from the ground up.
"The DallerGut Dream Department Store," a fantasy novel written by Korean author Lee Mi-ye, is being developed into a live action movie by Disney, U.S. entertainment news outlet Deadline reported Aug. 12. Screenwriter Patrick Ness, known for adapting young adult works, including the "Chaos Walking" trilogy and "A Monster Calls," will write the screenplay for the adaptation.
