2 months ago
Bloodhounds producer Studio N has a caller play of nan Netflix play astir to drop, a Series Mania screening of The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, and its biggest ever show, The Remarried Empress, launching later this year. There’s besides an adjustment of Gosu successful improvement pinch Toei.
Mikyung (Michelle) Kwon, Studio N’s CEO, is astatine Series Mania, pinch Korea nan play fest’s first ever Country of Honor. The N successful Studio N stands for ‘Next’ and Kwon told Deadline astir bringing Korean webtoons to life and what’s coming up.
In position of entree to IP, it helps that nan accumulation explanation is owed by Webtoon Entertainment, proprietor of nan Webtoon and Wattpad platforms. David Madden precocious told america really Webtoon Entertainment’s LA-based Webtoon Productions is harvesting web comics and web caller IP. Studio N is doing nan same, but bringing Korean-language fare to nan world market.
“One of nan goals of our institution is IP adaptation, truthful we are not conscionable going to attraction connected The Legend of nan Kitchen Soldier,” Kwon explains of her ngo astatine Series Mania.
The Remarried Empress launches connected Disney+ later this twelvemonth and will beryllium Studio N’s biggest fund show yet. Starring Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk, and Lee Se-young, it is simply a live-action adjustment of nan massively celebrated webtoon. The imagination communicative is group successful a world of emperors and empresses, pinch castles and lavish costumes.
“It is simply a very celebrated web comic bid and 1 of nan largest IPs that we have,” Kwon said. “It’s akin to Bridgerton, but nan eastbound version. Everyone will person nan accepted costumes, and location will beryllium kings and queens. It’s a small different from nan accepted Korean history that you’re utilized to.” The bid changeable successful Korea and nan Czech Republic.
Kwon said she keeps getting asked really Studio N will accommodate a romantasy webcomic into live-action. Studios N’s attack is to instrumentality adjacent to nan look of nan root material, correct down to nan costumes: “This title was very celebrated worldwide, and we wanted to support nan attire nan characters wore successful nan web comic and Disney+ bought into this idea.”
Before that show drops connected streaming location will beryllium more Bloodhounds. The first outing followed 2 young boxers, played by Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-yi, arsenic they took connected a notorious criminal. Season 2 launches connected April 3. “In Season 1 nan 2 young characters travel retired pinch a batch of action scenes, and I deliberation that aforesaid tin beryllium expected successful Season 2,” Kwon said. “We’ve thought agelong and difficult astir who we should prime arsenic nan villain for this play and Jung Ji-hoon is nan person. He’s a very celebrated vocalist successful Korea.”
Here astatine Series Mania, Studio N’s The Legend of Kitchen Soldier was picked by nan Festival arsenic Special Screening. “Rarely does a play clasp specified state and a gonzo joy,” Series Mania said of its selection. The series, based connected a celebrated webtoon stars Park Ji-hoon arsenic a young enlistee connected his measurement to becoming a legendary service cook. The webcomic has registered 650M world views.
“It is simply a coming of property communicative of a room soldier,” Kwon explained of nan series, which was made pinch CJ ENM’s Studio Dragon. “Park Ji-hoon starred successful The Man Who Lives With nan King, a movie that was released successful Korea successful January. It became truthful celebrated and this is his adjacent task to beryllium released. I deliberation we tin bask immoderate ripple complete effects from nan occurrence of that film.”
Looking beyond 2026, Studio N is moving connected an adjustment of Korean webtoon Gosu pinch Toei, shaper of nan animated shows Dragon Ball and One Piece. “We are co-developing this together correct now,” Kwon said. “We’ve developed a pilot, now we’re successful nan process of uncovering a platform. I deliberation we’ll beryllium capable to merchandise this successful nan adjacent 2 years.”
