A Tale of Two Sisters (장화, 홍련), Kim Jee-woon's 2003 psychological horror film based on a classic Korean folktale, became the highest-grossing Korean horror film of its era and one of the rare Korean releases to get a wide U.S. theatrical run — a profile that made it an obvious target for a Hollywood remake, resulting in 2009's The Uninvited, which posted the best opening weekend of any Korean film remake at the time despite a critical reception that split sharply between commercial success and reviewer scorn. The gap between how well it opened and how it was received captures a recurring pattern in Hollywood's attempts to adapt Korean genre films: box office numbers and critical judgment don't always move in the same direction.
The Original: Korea's Horror Benchmark
Directed by Kim Jee-woon and starring Im Soo-jung, Moon Geun-young, and Yeom Jung-ah, A Tale of Two Sisters draws on the traditional Korean folktale Janghwa Hongryeon jeon, reworking it into a story about two sisters returning home to a tense, unstable household after a stay in a psychiatric facility, where a hostile stepmother and unexplained, disturbing events gradually unravel the family's hidden trauma. Released in 2003, the film drew roughly 3.1 million admissions nationwide, an unusually strong result for a psychological horror film built more on dread and family tragedy than jump scares or gore. For years afterward, it was widely cited in Korean media as the country's highest-grossing horror film, a title it held until later occult and horror hits like The Wailing and Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum eventually surpassed it. Kim Jee-woon's atmospheric direction and composer Lee Byung-woo's score were singled out by both Korean and international critics, and the film received a wide theatrical release in the U.S. via Lions Gate — a rare distribution outcome for a Korean film at that point in the 2000s.
Becoming The Uninvited
DreamWorks acquired the remake rights on the strength of the original's success, eventually releasing The Uninvited in January 2009 under British first-time directors Charles and Thomas Guard. The remake shifted its point of view to the younger sister, cast Emily Browning and Arielle Kebbel as the two sisters, and put Elizabeth Banks in the stepmother role originated by Yeom Jung-ah — while changing significant elements of the setting, character details, and ending along the way. Producer Roy Lee, who had also brokered the deal for The Lake House, had cited strongly positive test-screening results ahead of release, and the wide-release rollout signaled genuine studio confidence in the project.
A Strong Opening, A Split Reception
The Uninvited opened across 2,344 North American theaters and earned $10.5 million in its opening weekend, landing at No. 3 at the box office — at the time, the best opening weekend of any Hollywood remake of a Korean film. But critical reaction diverged sharply from that commercial start: outlets including the Boston Globe panned the adaptation directly, with some critics specifically arguing it failed to reach the artistic or entertainment level of Kim Jee-woon's original. Domestic Korean commentary on the remake was similarly unimpressed, with some describing it as yet another case of a strong Korean premise being flattened into a more conventional American horror formula. Lee Byung-woo's original score for A Tale of Two Sisters, particularly its main theme "An Irreversible Moment," continued to draw praise even in comparisons with the remake, with many Korean fans rating it well above the replacement score used in The Uninvited.
A Tale of Two Sisters vs. The Uninvited
| Detail | A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) | The Uninvited (2009) |
|---|---|---|
| Director | Kim Jee-woon | Charles and Thomas Guard |
| Lead Cast | Im Soo-jung, Moon Geun-young, Yeom Jung-ah | Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel, Elizabeth Banks |
| Point of View | Older sister-centered narrative | Shifted to the younger sister |
| Domestic Admissions / Opening | ~3.1 million admissions (Korea) | $10.5 million opening weekend (North America) |
| Critical Reception | Widely praised, internationally acclaimed | Mixed to negative reviews |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is A Tale of Two Sisters based on a true story?
No, it's based on a classic Korean folktale, Janghwa Hongryeon jeon, reworked into a modern psychological horror narrative about two sisters and their troubled family.
How well did The Uninvited perform at the box office?
It opened at No. 3 with a $10.5 million opening weekend across 2,344 theaters, which was, at the time, the best opening weekend for any Hollywood remake of a Korean film.
Did critics like The Uninvited?
Reception was mixed to negative, with several major outlets criticizing the remake for falling short of the original's artistic and entertainment value.
What's different between the two films?
Beyond the change in setting and cast, the remake shifts its point of view to the younger sister and alters significant plot and ending details compared to the original.
Is A Tale of Two Sisters still considered Korea's top horror film?
It held the title of Korea's highest-grossing horror film for years, though later films such as The Wailing and Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum eventually surpassed its admissions numbers.
Streaming availability changes over time and by region — check current platform listings before planning to watch either film.