China Remakes Miss Granny with Yang Zhi Shan, Bolin Chen, and Luhan of EXO

The remake of hit movies and shows are nothing new across different entertainment industries. Sometimes it works and there is room for another version, other times one wishes the original would be left well enough alone. This year’s hit K-movie Miss Granny starring Shim Eum Kyung, which won her a Best Actress Baeksang, will be getting a C-movie version to start filming this Summer. It’s not a remake according to the Chinese director but something he calls same script different industry filming. Last year he received a script for Miss Granny which is financed by a joint Chinese-Korean production house with the intention to make the Korean and Chinese movies at the same time for the different audiences. The K-movie got made and released in theaters earlier this year but the C-movie languished in casting until now when it’s locked down the main cast of veteran actress Gui Ya Lei, rising C-actress Yang Zhi Shan, established TW-actor Bolin Chen, and complete and utter acting newbie Luhan from the K-group EXO. Luhan is actually Chinese so at least he has something going for him in being cast in a C-movie and I’m assuming he’s playing the supporting role of the grandson of the grandmother leading lady. Right now Gui Ya Lei playing the older version of the female lead and Bolin Chen as the male lead are the best things about this C-version, while leading lady Yang Zhi Shan is a big question mark for me though she made a big splash as the leading lady of the Zhao Wei directorial debut movie So Young with Mark Chao and Han Geng. It’s a shame I don’t have any positive impressions of her since Shim Eun Kyung rocked the same role so hard in her role in Miss Granny. The Chinese version has the title Return to Twenty Years Old 重返20岁 and will be based on the same script as the Korean movie and is aiming for a year end release.

Veteran C-actress Gui Ya Lei is amazing and as much a well-known face and name in Chinese-speaking entertainment as veteran K-actress Na Moon Hee is. Once again the big what if is on Yang Zhi Shan to deliver something that doesn’t immediately pale in comparison to Shim Eun Kyung.