SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Korea Bizwire) – On October 25, the respective heads of YLAB Comics, Naver Webtoons and Yong Film Inc held a press conference at the CGV multiplex located in the Cheongdam neighborhood of Seoul to formally announce the planned ‘Super String’ movie, South Korea’s answer to Hollywood’s Avengers film franchise.

As its choice of comparison suggests, Super String is a ‘webtoon universe’ comprised of a host of beloved comics characters from the YLAB Comics and Naver Webtoons catalog.

The announcement of a film version of Super String is the culmination of a process two years in the making; YLAB Comics began laying the foundations of the Super String universe in 2015 by carefully inserting select characters into different stories.

For example, the eponymous hero of ‘Terror Man’, the tale of Min Jung-woo, a young man who tries to save people from trouble by donning the mask of a terrorist (Min’s superpowers enable him to perceive others’ hidden sorrows), makes an appearance in the Naver Webtoon series ‘Distant Sky’. By the end of this year, a special series pitting Terror Man against a character from another series named ‘Revival Man’, is expected to be released.

YLAB Comics’ CEO Yoon In-hwan described the Super String project as “no different than Marvel’s Avengers, which is based on a story where superheroes come together”. Regarding the choice of name, he explained that he adopted it from superstring theory, pointing out that the characters come from different time periods and strange worlds, yet all gather in one setting. “What sets Super String apart is that the focus is on introducing relatable characters who undergo struggles that bring out otherworldly stories,” Yoon said.

CEO Syd Lim of Yong Film Inc, the production company behind global hit ‘Oldboy’ (also an adaptation of a Japanese manga/comic), revealed that a subsidiary called Studio Y was established for the upcoming Super String movies. He added that films for Revival Man and Terror Man will be released before a Super String feature hits theaters.

Pre-production for both Revival Man and Terror Man has begun, with the company heads eyeing a 2020 release for the first picture.

S.B.W. (sbw266@koreabizwire.com)