Universal Pictures has bought worldwide English-language remake rights to THE HOST, a South Korean monster movie that this summer became the highest-grossing film of all time in Korea, reports Variety.

Remake project is set up through Roy Lee and Doug Davidson's Vertigo Entertainment and Gold Circle Films.

THE HOST was bought for North America by Magnolia Pictures. Movie, which premiered in May in the Directors Fortnight section of the Cannes fest, was released in July in Korea through local major Showbox and sold over 14 million tickets for a B.O. gross exceeding $84 million.

Producers have yet to set either a scripter or a helmer. Although the pic is a simple monster-cum-hostage move, the re-do will likely need some tweaking. Korean story had social and political undertones that included sideswipes at the U.S., which has a large military presence in Korea.