Streaming giant Netflix is all set to produce a new Korean original series, tentatively titled Hellbound. The new series will be directed by Yeon Sang-ho, who’s also directed the hit Korean zombie movie, Train to Busan.
Hellbound will be adapted from a Korean language webtoon titled ‘Hell’. It is a highly acclaimed and popular webtoon in South East Asian countries. The webtoon will be adapted by director Yeon Sang-ho, with the help of illustrator Choi Gyu-seok, who is the creator of Songgot, another webtoon that was adapted into a series called Awl.
The narrative of Hellbound deals with the supernatural. Supernatural beings appear out of nowhere and condemn people to hell. A religious group takes charge and deems these weird events as the will of the divine. As the events unfold, people are thrown into situations of utter and intense chaos, and they struggle to survive the calamity – both man-made and supernatural.
Webtoons, especially Korean ones, are all the rage on the internet these days. Many webtoons have been adapted into TV dramas for local Korean TV channels, or are in the process of being adapted – 23, at last count.
Netflix has been very keen on Korean dramas and webtoons in recent times. Just a week ago, it announced that it is developing a Korean zombie series called ‘All Of Us Are Dead’, which is again adapted from a popular Korean webtoon called ‘Now At Our School’.
Other Korean dramas commissioned by Netflix include medical drama, Hospital Playlist; romantic sci-fi series My Holo Love; and horror fantasy, Kingdom. Before that, Netflix had commissioned the well-received K-drama ‘Love Alarm’, also an adaptation of a Korean webtoon.
Hellbound will be produced by Lezhin Studio and released exclusively on Netflix.