Comics
OMFG Of The Day: Del Toro’s ‘Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark’ To Get Illustrated Novel Prequel!
Guillermo Del Toro continues to be one of the busiest directors in show business, and it looks like he is only going to be adding to his laundry list of projects, as today it was announced that the “ORPHANAGE” director will be helping to release a prequel illustrated novel for his upcoming film, “DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK”, from Miramax Pictures. The prequel, which is written by Del Toro and Christopher Golden, will boast illustrations from director Troy Nixey, and be told in two separate halves, while also taking place 100 years before the events of the film. No word as of yet on a release date, but we will be sure to keep you updated as details become available.
“Based on the 1973 telefilm that del Toro believes is the scariest TV production ever made, the story follows Sally, a young girl who moves to Rhode Island to live with her father and his new girlfriend in the 19th-century mansion they are restoring. While exploring the house, Sally starts to hear voices coming from creatures in the basement whose hidden agenda is to claim her as one of their own.”
“DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK” Is In Theaters Everywhere On August 26th From Miramax Pictures!
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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