A South Korean remake of an underrated Robert De Niro film is now available on digital platforms. The adaptation revisits the story of an unlikely friendship between a retired professional and a young startup CEO. The film first opened in South Korean theaters on September 16, 2026, before making its way to digital platforms.
The first 10 minutes of The Intern, the Korean remake of De Niro’s 2015 film, are now available to watch for free on YouTube. The original film follows De Niro’s character Ben Whittaker, a 70-year-old widower who takes up an internship at an online fashion company. He forms a close friendship with its CEO, Anne Hathaway’s Jules Ostin, as he brings his professional experience to the workplace. Nancy Meyers wrote and directed the original film.
The film also featured Rene Russo, Anders Holm, Adam DeVine, and Andrew Rannells. It earned over $194 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $35 million. The Intern received mixed reviews and holds a 59% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 202 reviews.
Robert De Niro’s The Intern has been remade more than once
The Korean adaptation stars Choi Min-sik and Han So-hee in the lead roles. Choi plays Ki-ho, a retiree with 37 years of professional experience who joins a fashion startup as a senior intern. Han portrays Sun-woo, the company’s young CEO. Kim Do-young directed the remake, which also features Kim Jun-han and Ryu Hye-young.
The original story has also drawn interest from other markets. Japan’s Riding a Unicorn, released in 2022, shares a similar workplace premise but is not an official remake of The Intern. The television series follows a young startup CEO who hires an older employee, exploring workplace relationships and career changes.
An Indian remake of The Intern has been in development for years. The makers announced Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan as the leads in 2020, but the Hindi remake has yet to begin filming. The project remains in development, separate from the newly released Korean version.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
