Netflix is levelling up its Korean slate with a live-action adaptation of Solo Leveling, the blockbuster fantasy-action webtoon that’s already been turned into an anime and a video game.
Korean actor Byeon Woo-seok (Lovely Runner, 20th Century Girl) will star as the series’ lead, Sung Jin-woo.
First debuting as a web novel on KakaoPage, Solo Leveling follows the rise of Sung Jin-woo, a so-called ‘E-rank Hunter’ who – after a near-death experience – unlocks a mysterious levelling system that transforms him into an unstoppable force.
As humanity’s last line of defence against monstrous creatures spilling out from interdimensional ‘Gates’, Jin-woo’s journey is part survival story, part power fantasy, and all spectacle.
The IP has since snowballed into a cultural juggernaut. Its webtoon racked up over 14.3 billion views globally, and its recent anime adaptation made history as the first Korean animation to sweep the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, taking home nine major wins including Anime of the Year and Best Action.
Now, with Netflix backing a big-budget live-action iteration, Solo Leveling looks poised to hit yet another medium with full force. The streaming giant promises ‘eye-popping VFX’, fantastical dungeon worlds, and some seriously monstrous adversaries.
Watch the trailer for Solo Leveling (the anime) Season 1:
ScreenHub: Ne Zha 2: English-language version comes to Australia at last thanks to A24
Solo Leveling, but not going it alone
Byeon Woo-seok is fresh off a surge of international acclaim. Fans know him by the nickname 만찢남 (literally ‘man straight out of a comic’), and he is one of Korea’s most sought-after actors.
The series will be helmed by co-directors Lee Hae-jun (Castaway on the Moon, My Dictator) and Kim Byung-seo (Cold Eyes, Ashfall), with production shared between Kakao Entertainment and SANAI Pictures.
No release date has been announced yet.
All current seasons of Solo Leveling the anime can be found on Crunchyroll in Australia. Stay tuned for more updates on Netflix’ live-action slate.
Discover more screen, games & arts news and reviews on ScreenHub and ArtsHub.
Also on ScreenHub: Death Stranding is being adapted into an animated film
Death Stranding is being adapted into an animated film, with Aaron Guzikowski (Raised by Wolves) currently penning a script focussed on an original story, set within the universe of the game franchise. The news was first reported by Deadline, and shared by studio Kojima Productions and animation company Line Mileage, in a joint statement.
Together, they shared the animated film will be targeted at adults, with a mature story set against the cataclysm of Death Stranding – the post-apocalyptic event which connected the worlds of the living and the dead, with dire consequences. Given the tone of the announcement, it’s possible the film will focus on new characters, although firm details are yet to be locked in.
Given the rich backdrop of Death Stranding, and how deep the worldbuilding goes, there’s certainly ample material to explore here. As noted by Deadline, Guzikowski’s involvement is also very promising. The screenwriter’s work on Raised by Wolves has been frequently praised for its emotion and depth, and prior to this, Guzikowski also wrote the critically-acclaimed 2013 film Prisoners, starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal.
In a statement, Guzikowski expressed great enthusiasm about his role in creating the new Death Stranding adaptation, and a deep admiration for the work of Hideo Kojima.
‘I love the world of Death Stranding, it’s so creatively freeing, so beautifully dark and yet hopeful,’ he said. ‘I’m so excited and honoured that Hideo Kojima, whose work I’ve long admired, has invited me to dwell within his creation, to birth new stories into this fertile, mind-bending universe.’
Line Mileage CCO Daniel Dominguez also expressed excitement about the project, inspired by his love for video games.
‘As an avid gamer I can say, unequivocally, Death Stranding is the most cinematic, thought-provoking video game I have ever played,’ he said. ‘Playing it gave me the same emotional rush, visceral punch, and intellectual pleasure I had the first time I watched Blade Runner, or Ghost in the Shell. Adapting it into a form it so naturally evokes is an honor. And for Aaron Guzikowski to lend his talents, whose authorial mind and creative energy humble me… needless to say, this project is a dream come true.’
