Webtoon “Money Game” Adapted Into Entertainment Program In US

We’ve become increasingly accustomed to seeing webtoons turned into dramas or movies in South Korea, but it’s rare to see them adapted overseas.

However, one webtoon in particular has attracted attention, mainly due to its psychological aspect.

The popular web thriller series “Money Game” has been adapted into an online entertainment program in the United States.

The first episode of the show, with the same title, was uploaded to Jubilee’s YouTube channel, which has around 7 million subscribers.

Webtoon Naver announced on March 15 that this is the first time that a Korean webtoon’s intellectual property (IP) has been adapted into global video content with a foreign production team and cast.

The web show “Money Game” consists of five episodes and features eight participants who agree to live in a facility with separate cells for 10 days. They will share $300,000 (around €300,000) during this period and will be able to take home whatever they don’t spend at the end.

Filming is taking place in Los Angeles and episodes are expected to be released every Monday.

Naver Webtoon participated in the production process, including the planning stage of the show.

“I never imagined that my work would be born as a reality show abroad,” “Money Game,” said Bae Jin-soo, the author of the webtoon. “I feel that the intellectual property status of webtoons has improved in recent years, not only in Korea but also abroad.”

The original webtoon “Money Game” centers around eight participants competing for 100 days to win a total of 44.8 billion won (€33 million).

In Korea, Bae’s “Money Game” and its sequel “Pie Game” (2020-21) are set to be adapted into an eight-episode series.

The series stars IU, whose real name is Lee Ji-eun, Ryu Jun-yeol, Park Jeong-min, Park Hae-joon, and Bae Seong-woo.

The name of the series and where it will be broadcast have not been revealed.

Filming of the show is expected to begin in the first half of 2022.