Comics
Horror Comic ‘Exquisite Corpses’ Is Headed to the Big Screen
Exquisite Corpses, James Tynion IV and Michael Walsh‘s bestselling horror comic launched last year by Image Comics, is getting a film adaptation.
Deadline reports that Tynion’s Tiny Onion is teaming with Lyrical Media (Elevation, How to Blow Up a Pipeline) to develop the feature.
The story centers on a deadly game played every five years on Halloween, when the wealthiest families in America unleash 12 of the world’s most dangerous killers on an unsuspecting small town with one goal: last killer standing wins.
For the citizens of Oak Valley, Maine — this year’s unlucky arena — the goal is much simpler. They must survive the night.
The highest-selling original IP launch of the year in the comic book direct market, Exquisite Corpses has sold more than 500,000 copies since its debut in May. A companion trading card game, Exquisite Corpses: The Game, is in development for release this summer.
Tynion is producing the film for Tiny Onion, alongside Alexander Black and Arlen Konopaki for Lyrical Media. Walsh and Lyrical’s Jon Rosenberg will executive produce.
They envision the property as “a franchise starter with expansive potential across live-action film, animation, and video games, and are currently packaging the feature with A-list talent.”
The Tiny Onion/Lyrical Media partnership will also include a feature adaptation of Tynion’s short film turned one-shot comic Room Service.
Tynion and filmmaker PK Colinet will co-write the feature, about a sinister hotel service that allows its clients to commit their ideal murder scenarios.
“These projects were built with love and care with my incredible co-creators, and I’m thrilled to bring that same creative energy to the big screen,” said Tynion.
“James’s comics have captivated audiences worldwide, redefining what modern horror can be,” added Black. “At Lyrical, we’re committed to empowering visionary creators to take bold swings, and these two films embody the kind of creator-driven storytelling that can grow into the next great horror brand.”
Back in October, Blumhouse announced that it’s developing Tynion’s Something is Killing the Children into both a feature film and an adult animated series.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.