South Korea’s Finecut has acquired international sales rights to an upcoming animated movie called Guardians Of The Video Game. The film is based on a well-known webtoon series that has drawn millions of readers since its start in 2014. The story centers around a secret group that protects the world of video games from threats. It follows a former guardian who is banished from his world and ends up in an old game that has been forgotten. He must help the main character finish the game while uncovering a plot to destroy both the hero and the game itself.
The film is currently in post-production and will be released in South Korea later this year, according to screendaily.com. It is being directed by Uhm Young-sik, a filmmaker known for his work on live-action and animated projects. His previous work includes the 2023 movie Running Man: Revengers and a segment from the TV series Yumi’s Cells. He also co-directed a 2019 film titled Red Shoes And The Seven Dwarfs, which was sold to 120 countries. The movie features Chloë Grace Moretz and Sam Claflin in its voice cast.
The animation was created by Locus Animation, a major studio in South Korea. This studio has worked on other animated features such as Red Shoes And The Seven Dwarfs and Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning. The sequel to Exorcism Chronicles is currently in development.
Finecut’s upcoming film slate also includes Long Long Night, a 3D animated movie directed by Youm Kyu-bock. That film is set to premiere in Toronto’s Centrepiece section at TIFF. Another film in Finecut’s lineup, Nowhere To Lay My Eyes by Hong Sangsoo, recently won top awards at the Locarno Film Festival.
The first footage of Guardians Of The Video Game will be shown to buyers at TIFF: The Market next week. The movie is set to debut in South Korea later this year, with international distribution already arranged by Finecut. The webtoon was created and illustrated by Gasfard, and it was adapted into a mobile game. It ran for several years and attracted over 245 million views.
IMAGE: Spotlight on Dreamworks Animation, Rise of the Guardians, 5th Mill Valley Film Festival
“Rise of the Guardians” – Producer Nancy Bernstein; Producer Christina Steinberg; Director Peter Ramsey; CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg; Chief Creative Officer Bill Damaschke. Photo: Cindy Maram/Dig In Magazine / Wikimedia, taken 2012-10-13, CC BY 2.0