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Hollywood Reporter informs us that James Wong (THE ONE, DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION) will write and direct a remake of the 2005 Japanese film THE NEIGHBOR NUMBER 13 (Rinjin 13-Go). Shooting is scheduled to begin this year, with distribution targeted for the fall of 2011. Touting Won’gs pedigree as director and co-writer of FINAL DESTINATION, which spawned several successful sequels, Distant Horizon exec Anant Singh says:

“Our hope is that ‘The Neighbor Number 13′ will be a commercial success like ‘Final Destination’ was and also generate the same kind of franchise with James Wong at the helm…”

Said Wong: “I was seized by the concept after one viewing of Yasuo Inoue’s movie, and it hasn’t left me for a moment since. I think we have found a very unique way to frame the story and bring a heroic twist to it that is fresh and surprising and will take audiences on a very thrilling journey”

Hollywood Reporter identifies the movie as a “J-Horror” film, but the story (about a young man who goes to extreme lengths to avenge a traumatizing incident he witnessed as a boy) sounds more like a revenge melodrama along the lines of Park Chan-wook (the home video cover art even mention’s Park’s OLDBOY).