ALONG WITH THE GODS Gets New Life As Chinese Animation Project
Chinese media outlet MTime brings word of an animated transition of Joo Ho-min’s Korean hit webtoon, Along With The Gods, now in development at China’s Zhonghe Qiancheng Film and Television. The company acquired adaptation and filming rights and is presently in the pre-lim phase with script development.
200 Pounds Beauty and Mr. Go director Kim Yong-hwa sat at the helm writing, directing and producing two-live action films back-to-back ahead of releases in 2017 and 2018. The films center on the elusive, afterworld mystery, intrigue and danger surrounding a trio of guardian reapers who reluctantly aid in human affairs, while guiding and advising spirits of the dead who will face seven tumultuous trials to test their purity and worthiness of heaven.
Cha Tae-Yun, Ha Jung-woo, Kim Hyang-Gi, Ju Ji-Hoon and recent Hollywood breakout Don Lee are among the roster between both films which scored massively at the box office whilst selling around the world from sales agency, Lotte. The films’ successes left ample room for potential sequels and spinoffs, with Kim shepherding efforts via his Dexter Studios banner.
Prior to, Dexter was also in line to partner with Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment and Luka Productions for Prodigal – described as a superhero pic focused on paternal love – following LA Comic Con announcements in October 2017. That project is now on the backburner following updates Kim himself gave back in December during the 4th International Film Festival & Awards Macao, citing complications since Lee’s death the following year in November.
The fate of both prospective third and fourth Along With The Gods films, which were also meant to be shot back-to-back as were the first two, remains to be seen as the current global situation with Covid-19 unfolds; With the curve flattening in some countries as a select number of productions slowly ease back on track this season, time will tell if Kim’s supernatural franchise moves forward.
Details on the new animated project at Zhonghe Qiancheng remain pending.
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