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| A teaser image of "The Killers" / Courtesy of Studio Bill |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Six Korean filmmakers have teamed up to adapt Ernest Hemingway's short story "The Killers" for the screen. "The Killers" (working title) will be a collaborative project consisting of six short film thrillers by six different directors.
The filmmakers involved in the project are Lee Myung-se of "Nowhere to Hide" (1999) and "Duelist" (2005), Kim Jong-kwan of "Worst Woman" (2016) and "Josee" (2020), Noh Deok of "Very Ordinary Couple" (2013) and "The Exclusive: Beat the Devil's Tattoo" (2015), Yoon Yoo-kyung, who adapted films "The Soul-mate" (2018) and "Stellar" (2022), Jang Hang-jun of "Forgotten" (2017) and "Rebound" (2023), Jo Sung-hwan storyboard artist of "Okja" (2017) and Escape from Mogadishu (2022).
"The Killers" revolves around two hitmen who walk into a diner in a small town to kill a former boxer named Ole Andreson, who is a regular customer.
The short story was adapted into films later by director Robert Siodmak in 1946 and Don Seigel in 1964. "The Killers" became a gateway to a film noir narrative and inspired Edward Hopper's painting "Nighthawks."
Lee, who also serves as the creative director of "The Killers" project, explained that each short film will feature a different cinematic interpretation of the 1927 story.
"'The Killers' adapted from Hemingway's work, will tell the same story from multiple perspectives. The story aims to connect the past, present and future. It will be featured as a single artwork rather than a compilation of six individual works," Lee said, adding that their stories will recount certain scenes through the perspectives of different characters.
"This project aims to create an environment where Korean filmmakers can spark their imagination and develop ideas based on their creativity."
Filming of "The Killers" will begin in August and finish in time to be released in 2024. It remains undecided whether "The Killers" will head to theaters or go direct to streaming platforms. The project will be produced by content investment and production company Studio Bill.
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