James Wan Keeps ‘The Last Train to New York’ on the Rails

James Wan isn’t ready to let The Last Train to New York fade into the sidings. The producer, speaking exclusively to Entertainment Weekly, reaffirmed that the American take on South Korea’s hit Train to Busan remains very much alive, despite Warner Bros. shelving the title indefinitely. “That’s definitely still a passion project of ours,” Wan explained, noting that Atomic Monster has never abandoned hope of bringing the concept Stateside .

Rather than a straight remake, Wan says the plan is for The Last Train to New York to run parallel to the original. “Creatively, it takes place in the same world as Train to Busan,” he told EW. “It’s happening epidemically around the world. So if Train to Busan is this particular slice of the story in South Korea, we want Train to New York to be the one set in America. Everything about it is really exciting. I hope that could get off the ground eventually. Got to be honest with you, I’m not quite sure where it sits right now” .

The roots of this transatlantic zombie tale go back to 2016, when Gaumont secured English-language rights. By 2018, New Line Cinema and Wan’s Atomic Monster joined forces, and Warner Bros. had slated an April 2023 release with Timo Tjahjanto in talks to direct and Gary Dauberman adapting the script. Yet the film was quietly removed in 2022, making way for Evil Dead Rise.

Wan’s steadfast commitment stands in contrast to the project’s uncertain status. He described development as “cooking away” alongside two or three other prospective directorial endeavours. “I think it’s important to have the luxury and the time to focus on the script and get things right before I dive into anything,” he said .

Train to Busan revolutionised the zombie genre when it debuted at Cannes’ Midnight Screenings in 2016. Director Yeon Sang-ho’s tightly wound thriller starred Gong Yoo as a workaholic father fighting to save his daughter on a high-speed train, only to face an outbreak of ravenous undead. The film’s innovative blend of action and emotion earned it over $180 million worldwide and spawned animated prequel Seoul Station and sequel Peninsula.

Fans have long wondered whether the American counterpart could capture the same raw intensity. With the new spinoff anchored in the same outbreak, Wan hopes viewers will experience a familiar terror refracted through New York’s neon canyons. While details remain under wraps, the shared timeline promises fresh perspective on the global catastrophe first sighted on Korean rails.

For now, The Last Train to New York remains a tantalising “what if” for zombie fans. Wan’s hope is clear: when the virus leaps continents again, American audiences will be first in line for the ride.

We’ll share more news as it comes.

Train to Busan trailer