Naver Webtoon's horror series 'Stagtown' to be made into Hollywood movie

Naver Webtoon’s English-language horror series “Stagtown” will be adapted into a Hollywood film, the company announced on Wednesday.

A promotional image of Naver Webtoon's “Stagtown” [NAVER WEBTOON]

Naver Webtoon’s English-language horror series “Stagtown” (2021-) will be adapted into a Hollywood film, the company announced on Wednesday.

“Stagtown,” which was developed on Naver Webtoon’s amateur creator platform “Canvas,” is an ongoing horror webtoon that deals with the supernatural experiences of the protagonist, Frankie, as he returns to his hometown, the series' namesake. It officially launched on Naver Webtoon’s English service in 2021 and has gained significant popularity in North America, surpassing 18 million views.

Production company LuckyChap will collaborate with Naver Webtoon’s subsidiary Wattpad Webtoon Studios. LuckyChap has produced several notable works, including the film “Barbie” (2023), which was nominated for eight Academy Awards, as well as “Promising Young Woman” (2020) and “Saltburn” (2023).

Benjamin Brewer, known as the lead visual effects designer for the film “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (2022), will be taking on the roles of writer and director.

Brewer has previously worked on music videos for artists including Justin Bieber and contributed to the screenplay for the Netflix film “Reptile” (2023). Recently, he directed the feature film “Arcadian” (2024), starring Nicolas Cage.

Jason Goldberg, the head of the global film department at Wattpad Webtoon Studios, expressed his excitement over the collaboration with Brewer on such a unique horror story and excellent artwork, according to Naver Webtoon.

Naver Webtoon has been actively working on the global adaptation of over 100 webtoons and web novels through its subsidiary Wattpad Webtoon Studios, which was established in 2021.

Current projects in production are “Lore Olympus” (2017-24) in collaboration with The Jim Henson Company, “Death of a Pop Star” (2020-) in partnership with American writer and film producer Diablo Cody and “Freaking Romance” (2018-19) with Skybound Entertainment.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]