Scripted

The Ink Factory (The Night Manager, The Pigeon Tunnel) is joining forces with Korean production company VO Media, founded by industry veterans Park Bo-kyeong and Kim Shin-ho, to develop a new Korean adaptation of John le Carré’s espionage novel A Most Wanted Man.

The screenplay will be written by Kim Yun-shin, with VO Media’s Kim Shin-ho producing and Park Bo-kyeong overseeing development alongside Junyoung Jang, The Ink Factory’s Executive Producer for Korea. The project’s executive producing team includes Tessa Inkelaar, Simon Cornwell, Stephen Cornwell, and Michele Wolkoff for The Ink Factory, together with Joe Tsai and Arthur Wang from 127 Wall Productions.

First published in 2008, A Most Wanted Man follows Issa, a Muslim immigrant with a shadowy past who arrives illegally in Hamburg carrying access to a hidden fortune. To young lawyer Annabel, he is a cause worth fighting for; to Western intelligence agencies, he is a suspected jihadist and a pawn in the war on terror. Praised by the New York Times as le Carré’s “strongest, most powerful novel” and hailed by The Guardian as a deeply humane work that exposes troubling moral ambiguities, the story explores paranoia, betrayal, and disillusionment in the post-9/11 world.

Producer Kim Shin-ho and screenwriter Kim Yun-shin emphasized the relevance of the story in a Korean context:
“At its heart, A Most Wanted Man asks how easily an individual can be sacrificed in the name of the nation. Korea’s modern history—marked by war, division, dictatorship, and sacrifice—offers a compelling mirror for this story. For us, it is a drama about dignity, power, and fracture, and a search for whether the dead can save the living.”

Simon and Stephen Cornwell, co-CEOs of The Ink Factory, added:“This novel is a timeless study of trust, power, and morality. Partnering with VO Media, with their proven ability to craft complex, character-driven stories, gives us the opportunity to reimagine le Carré’s world through a distinct Korean lens for audiences both locally and internationally.”

Park Bo-kyeong of VO Media said:“We are honored to collaborate with The Ink Factory. Their global expertise allows us not only to adapt one of le Carré’s most politically sharp works, but also to expand our creative reach through their international experience.”

Junyoung Jang, who joined The Ink Factory in 2021, will serve as a creative bridge between the UK and Korea. Jang began her career on Bong Joon-ho’s The Host and later produced acclaimed co-productions including Road Games, A Good Woman is Hard to Find, and Shine Your Eyes. She previously led Korean TV production initiatives at Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and most recently produced Abner Pastoll’s Nervous.

Founded in 2015, VO Media’s credits include Beethoven Virus, The King 2 Hearts, I Can Hear Your Voice, Splendid Politics, and Why Her. Kim Shin-ho’s background spans MBC productions as well as work on The Wailing, Pinocchio, Marriage Contract, My Name, and Extracurricular.

The Ink Factory launched its Asia slate in 2021, supported by 127 Wall Productions, to adapt le Carré’s works for key Asian markets while showcasing regional talent. The slate is led by Tessa Inkelaar and includes Disney+ Hotstar’s Hindi-language remake of The Night Manager, starring Anil Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur, produced with Banijay Asia.