Naver Webtoon announces spinoff prequel series of the film 'Exhuma'

Naver Webtoon will launch a spinoff webtoon of the film "Exhuma" (2024), offering fans an intriguing prequel to the occult film.

The webtoon, titled "Maengjong," follows the story of shamans Hwa-rim, played by Kim Go-eun in the film, and Bong-gil, played by Lee Do-hyun, during their high school years. It will explore how the two first met and delve into stories that weren't featured in the movie.

The webtoon begins with Hwa-rim hiding the fact that she is a shaman after incidents involving a snake god, and encountering Bong-gil, a fellow student at her high school.

The series will be illustrated by Haemuri, the artist behind the webtoon "Trapped," and will debut on Naver Webtoon on Saturday. 

"It is meaningful to see the film's story being expanded through webtoons," said Lee Hyun-jung, head of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed "Exhuma." "We hope 'Maengjong' offers a fresh experience for fans of the film and webtoon readers."

Exhuma was released in February 2024, drawing over 11.9 million moviegoers in Korea.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]