Skydance to Adapt Korean Drama ‘Hotel Del Luna’ From Studio Dragon

South Korea’s CJ ENM, the studio behind “Parasite,” and its subsidiary Studio Dragon have signed a partnership deal with American production company Skydance Media’s Skydance Television to co-develop an English-language remake of hit South Korean TV series “Hotel Del Luna.”

Produced by Studio Dragon and aired on CJ ENM’s TV channel tvN in 2019, “Hotel Del Luna” is a fantasy drama that revolves around an elite hotelier who becomes the manager of an hotel that only caters to spirits at night. Starring K-pop singer-actress Lee Ji-eun, who is better known for her stage name IU, the series was one of the biggest hits of the year across the Asian region.

“At its core, Hotel Del Luna is a spectacular visual fantasy grounded in a story about the importance of human connection, lost loves and unfinished business,” said Bill Bost, president of Skydance Television.

American TV writer-producer Alison Schapker, CJ Group’s vice-chair Miky Lee, CJ ENM/Studio Dragon’s Jinnie Choi and Park Hyun will join the series as executive producers, along with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Bill Bost representing Skydance Television.

“We (hope this) is the first of many co-development projects with Skydance,” said Hyun Park, head of Studio Dragon’s global division. “We believe ‘Hotel Del Luna’ will enhance the reputation of Korean storytelling around the world by showcasing the global appeal of our local stories.”

In February, CJ ENM entered a partnership with Skydance to create stories with worldwide appeal. At that time, CJ ENM and New York-based hedge fund RedBird Capital Partners made a $275 million investment in Skydance. “Hotel Del Luna” is their first co-development.

Studio Dragon, which also has a deal with Netflix, recently set up a U.S subsidiary in Los Angeles. It aims to produce American shows, using its Korean intellectual properties, as well as create original U.S content.