Comics
Del Toro Confirms His Interest In A Supernatural DC Comics Film
Rumors that resounded last week about del Toro’s possible film with DC featuring heroes like Swamp Thing, Constantine, Deadman, and The Demon, and the director has just confirmed he is “discussing” such as an option with Warner Bros. Many immediately dismissed the rumor as fluff, but del Toro clarifies that he was denying his involvement with a “Justice League” movie saying, “but this I would love to do.” See below for del Toro’s full statement about the “Justice League Dark” style film.
del Toro stated, “When somebody asked me about Justice League … I’m not involved in Justice League. I am discussing … I’ve been discussing with the fans and I’ve been very, very open about how much Swamp Thing was key when I was a kid. Comics in Mexico came on the first two days of the week. Around Tuesday and Wednesday I would go to the newsstand on my bicycle and I would get Swamp Thing every time it was available and I loved Jack Kirby’s Demon. I love Constantine and all that. You know, I’ve been pursuing doing something with them for many, many years. Hopefully it’ll come to pass. But we are still just discussing.”
Of course, this does not mean it will happen, as we all know how excited del Toro gets about projects that often fall through. DC doesn’t seem keen on making any new films for a few years, and one with B-list characters might not be their first choice. Then again, with Constantine moving out of Vertigo and into the DCU, perhaps they are testing his popularity. Time will tell.
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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