Korean animation studios are aggressively expanding domestic production strategies by adapting homegrown webtoons into theatrical feature films, moving beyond a traditional reliance on overseas manufacturing and international co-productions. While multi-country partnerships like the hit streaming series Solo Leveling have historically dominated the adaptation market by combining local intellectual property with Japanese production infrastructure, Seoul-based studios are now taking full creative and logistical control of feature projects from start to finish.
Domestic Studios Take Control of Webtoon Adaptations
A prime example of this domestic shift is the upcoming animated feature Guardians of the Video Game, based on Gasfard’s Naver Webtoon. Produced entirely by Seoul-based studio Locus, the film is scheduled to hit theaters on Oct. 14. This follows Locus’s previous film, Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning, a 1990s occult novel adaptation that performed well with local audiences last year. Locus maintains an active pipeline of upcoming domestic projects, including adaptations of webtoons Barkhan and Denma, alongside an animated version of director Kim Tae-yong’s stage play Kokdu.
Separately, Your Letter—an adaptation of Cho Hyeon-ah’s webtoon produced by Studio N—has achieved notable international reach by being presold to 166 countries. The film garnered critical acclaim for its hand-drawn visual style and emotional narrative approach, demonstrating that gentle domestic stories can secure global audiences.
Box Office Realities and the Push for Adult Content
Despite international sales and expanding in-house pipelines, domestic box office returns highlight persistent challenges for homegrown animated releases. The 2011 release Leafie, A Hen into the Wild remains the best-performing Korean animated film domestically, drawing approximately 2.2 million tickets. That total falls significantly behind imported Japanese titles such as Suzume and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie: The Infinity Castle, which have each drawn more than 5 million admissions in South Korea.
Industry leadership views the pivot toward domestic webtoon production as a necessary evolution in capability rather than a direct challenge to Japan’s industry. Kim Yun-ji, president of the Korea Creative Content Agency, addressed the structural hurdles facing the sector during a Sept. 17 press conference. Kim noted that historical reliance on children’s content leaves studios vulnerable to a declining population and a shrinking broadcast market, making a strategic shift toward adult-oriented content essential. Kim emphasized that studios must build new revenue models by linking animation directly with webtoons and merchandise rather than depending strictly on government support, ensuring local creators retain the option to self-produce when equipped with the right material.
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