We’ve seen some popular webtoons get animated recently. Webtoon is one of the world’s largest digital comic book publishers and they are now expanding their recently launched production arm. Called Webtoon Studios, it “connects Webtoon’s huge library of titles and creators with entertainment platforms including film, television, interactive entertainment, licensing and merchandising.” They have announced partnerships with Vertigo Entertainment, Bound Entertainment & Rooster Teeth.
The CEO Ken Kim said:
“Today marks a huge step for Webtoon. Webcomics have grown into a cultural phenomenon over the past 15 years – especially for younger generations. This is another important step in building a greater bridge from our creator’s works on Webtoon to film, TV and beyond.”
He also said that the recent global hits proved that their series are beloved around the world. Webtoon has formed partnerships with companies like The Jim Henson Company as well as Crunchyroll. The newly announced partners are Vertigo Entertainment (IT, The Lego Movie). Bound Entertainment (Snowpiercer, Okja) for a live-action sci-fi series. Also Rooster Teeth Studios, which will serve as both the animation studio and co-producer of a supernatural-themed action series.
“Webtoon Studios represents an important next phase in our evolution as a true multi-platform company. This is a bold investment by Webtoon in both our incredible community of webcomic creators as well as our partners. With multiple deals currently in the works with major studios, producers and production companies, we’ll have much more exciting news to share in the coming months.”
WebtoonStudios.com will launch an online portal that provides updated information on Webtoon IP in development. Also stats on readership, upcoming projects, as well as a browsable portfolio. The current portfolio is just a small sampling of projects which are available or in active development. It will be updated monthly.
The Noblesse TV anime is currently ongoing. Tower of God and The God of High School both aired this year and were successful. There is s a ton more interesting stories on the website, so I’ll be happy to see them come to other mediums. There are no details yet though. They did say they will be able to share more exciting news in the coming months, and with 67 million monthly readers, I’m sure it can work!
Looking forward to what Webtoon Studios will do in the future. It seems like webcomics might be getting even more popular. Webtoon wrote on their Facebook that more fan favorites are coming as films and TV series as well!
Source: Deadline, Webtoon Website and Facebook
Thumbnail: Crunchyroll
