Netflix Orders Another Korean Zombie Series, 'All Of Us Are Dead'
Netflix has gotten a hunger — you might even say they're ravenous — for all things undead. Specifically, Korean zombie shows. After the incredible success of the medieval Korean zombie series Kingdom, Netflix has picked up yet another Korean zombie title, All Of Us Are Dead, a series based on the popular webtoon Now At Our School.
Netflix's latest Korean zombie series will have a "fresh take" on the horror genre, according to the streaming giant. Deadline reports that Netflix has announced plans to develop an All Of Us Are Dead series, based on the popular webtoon — a weekly comic published online — Now At Our School. The streaming platform has teamed up with Lee JQ (Beethoven Virus, Damo: The Legendary Police Woman, Intimate Strangers) to produce the new original series.
All Of Us Are Dead follows a group of high school students "who are faced with an extreme crisis situation when they become trapped in their school, while a zombie virus spreads like a wildfire."
Unlike Kingdom, which is set during the medieval Joseon period of Korea, this is a contemporary series that sounds like a cross between Battle Royale and Train to Busan with its closed-space setting and school-age characters going through a terrible ordeal. The original webtoon, written by Joo Dong-Geun, was published in 2009 and became widely successful not just in Korea but in surrounding countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and Taiwan.
The Netflix original series will be written by Chun Sung-il, and directed by Lee JQ and Kim Nam-su. It will be produced by JTBC Studios in association with Film Monster, and will premiere worldwide on Netflix.
All Of Us Are Dead is the latest Korean original set to debut on Netflix, which has found great success by importing K-dramas, a genre of TV that has really taken off globally in the past few years. Originals like My Holo Love, Crash Landing On You, and Itaewon Class have earned large followings and word-of-mouth buzz. But it's their horror series Kingdom that has earned both critical acclaim and popularity, with a second season that is earning raves outside of the K-drama community. It's yet to be seen whether All Of Us Are Dead can live up to Kingdom's high standards, but Netflix seems to have the market for Korean zombie shows pegged.