More than a decade after “The Intouchables” became a global box office phenomenon and launched Omar Sy’s international career, a Turkish remake of the French comedy titled “Yan Yana” is doing blockbuster business in Turkey, becoming the country’s box office champion in 2025.
Since the film’s release on November 14 in Turkish theaters via Universal Pictures International, “Yan Yana,” directed by Mert Baykal, has recorded more than two million admissions, grossing more than $12.4 million, and counting.
That figure is more than double the Turkish box office of “A Minecraft Movie” ($5.2 million) and about three times that of “Zootopia 2” ($4.1 million), according to figures from Box Office Mojo.
Produced by Turkish company NuLook Production – the leading company behind the works of renowned Turkish directors Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Emin Alper – “Yan Yanna” is also the first Turkish film to be released locally in IMAX format.
The Turkish adaptation follows the same principle as the original “Intouchables”, produced by Gaumont. A rich man, Refik (Haluk Bilginer), is paralyzed after a paragliding accident and hires a cheerful caregiver, Ferruh (Feyyaz Yiğit), who comes from a completely different background.
“Yan Yana,” which is also being released in several European territories (France, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands) via European distributor Cinedex, follows several other adaptations of The Intouchables around the world. These include the 2019 American remake “The Upside” directed by Neil Burger starring Bryan Cranston as a wealthy quadriplegic and Kevin Hart as his caregiver, which was a surprise box office hit for STX Entertainment following distribution delays due to the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
