Comics
‘Deadpool’ Creator Rob Liefeld Sells Universe to Netflix!
For the many who don’t know, Rob Liefeld is a huge name in the comic book world. He was one of the original artists to leave behind Marvel and form Image with the likes of Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, and others. He’s not only a ridiculously interesting artist, he’s also a creative force who is the visionary behind New Mutants characters Deadpool and Cable, as well as Image’s Youngblood. He was part of the early resistance and his impact is part of the reason comic-to-film is as large as it is today. He’s being rewarded with a 7-figure deal directly with Netflix to bring many of his other creations to life.
The streaming giant has signed a deal with Liefeld for his Extreme Universe characters, with the intent being a Marvel-style series of movies existing in a shared universe, THR explained. Liefeld’s Extreme Universe characters debuted in the early 1990s when the creator left Marvel after his fan-favorite New Mutants and X-Force runs, where the central characters of Fox’s Deadpool movies — including the second film’s Cable and Domino — debuted. Concepts and characters in the Extreme package include superhero teams Brigade and Bloodstrike, as well as solo characters such as Lethal, Cybrid, and Kaboom.
I guess we’ll get to see his Wolverine-esque Deadlock realized on screen!
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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