Webtoon adaptations draw audiences back to theaters

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Films based on popular webtoons are drawing audiences back to theaters as they dominate the box office.

“Omniscient Reader,” based on the web novel of the same name by writer singNsong, topped the Korean box office the day of its release on Wednesday with over 120,000 moviegoers, according to the Korea Box Office Information System.

“Omniscient Reader” follows office worker Kim Dok-ja, portrayed by actor Ahn Hyo-seop, whose reality mirrors a novel he has read, leading him to embark on a journey to save the world. The film stars Ahn, Lee Min-ho, Chae Soo-bin, Shin Seung-ho, Nana and Jisoo.

As of Thursday noon, the film is leading with an advance ticket reservation rate of 21 percent, or some 92,600 reserved viewers.

The upcoming film “My Daughter is a Zombie,” an adaptation of the Naver Webtoon by cartoonist Lee Yun-chang, is next in line: It’s already seeing an advance ticket reservation rate of 18 percent, or some 79,000 eager theatergoers waiting for its release next Wednesday.

Starring Cho Jung-seok, Lee Jung-eun, Cho Yeo-jeong and Yoon Kyung-ho, “My Daughter is a Zombie,” a comedy horror genre, follows a zookeeper who makes a desperate attempt to save his daughter who becomes infected by a zombie virus.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]