Indonesia’s Falcon Pictures and South Korea’s Contents Panda have joined forces to produce a sequel and animated series adaptation of the 2013 South Korean blockbuster Miracle in Cell No. 7. The collaboration builds on the success of the 2022 Indonesian remake, which ranked fifth in the country’s all-time box office, selling 5.8 million tickets.

In a discussion at Busan’s Asia Contents and Film Market, creators of both the original and remake shared insights into the partnership. South Korea’s Miracle in Cell No. 7, directed by Lee Hwan-kyung, garnered nearly 13 million viewers in theaters but did not have a sequel. Falcon Pictures aims to build on the success of its Indonesian adaptation by expanding the story further.

“A remake is an efficient way [to ensure] a film’s success,” said Danny Lee of Contents Panda, a subsidiary of Korean distributor NEW. He noted that the original story had already been well-received in Korea, making the adaptation a strong candidate for international success. The sequel is expected to premiere in Indonesian theaters this Christmas, followed by an animated series release in eight episodes.

The partnership highlights a growing trend of Korean films being adapted for Southeast Asian markets. Miracle in Cell No. 7 has previously been remade in Turkey, the Philippines and is currently in production in Spain, starring award-winning actor Mario Casas.

B. Naveen, executive producer at Falcon Pictures, emphasized how the Indonesian version was localized to better fit the local audience. “We made the prisoners less dark and a bit funnier,” Naveen said, adding that the film featured popular Indonesian comedians in key roles.

The new animation series, directed by Daryl Wilson, further expands the film’s reach. “It’s very exciting to see the original film evolve into a sequel and animation spinoff,” Lee added, emphasizing the successful collaboration between Falcon Pictures and Contents Panda. 

This venture mirrors other successful Korean film adaptations, such as CJ Entertainment’s Sunny, which was remade by Indonesia’s Miles Film. The growing popularity of Korean content in Southeast Asia, primarily fueled by Korean dramas, continues to create opportunities for cross-border film collaborations.