The "Along with the Gods" series, the first in Korean cinema history to surpass 10 million moviegoers with both its first and second installments, is returning for a third story.
Director Kim Yong-hwa confirmed "Along with the Gods: Life and Death" as his next project and has begun full-scale preparations with the goal of cranking in during the second half of 2027. Dexter Studios (hereafter Dexter), which brought the afterlife to the big screen, will once again participate in the production project as an investor.
Attention is also focused on whether Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon, the key leads of the series, will team up once more. Dexter did not release any casting-related information on this day.
Based on writer Joo Ho-min's popular webtoon of the same name, the "Along with the Gods" series opened a new horizon for Korean fantasy blockbuster films, creating a box-office sensation across Asia with its solid storyline rooted in an Eastern concept of the afterlife and unprecedented visuals that vividly depicted a hell never seen before. The franchise also won Director, Technical, and Visual Effects awards at ceremonies including the KOFRA Film Awards, the Blue Dragon Film Awards, the Grand Bell Awards, the Baeksang Arts Awards, and the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards.
"Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds", which drew major buzz by creating a live-action depiction of a deceased soul from the underworld facing trials across seven hells over 49 days alongside three grim reapers who guide him, mobilized 14.41 million moviegoers thanks to director Kim Yong-hwa's deeply humanistic direction and distinct visuals.
The second installment, "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days", set consecutive box-office records starting with the highest opening score in Korean film history (1,246,692 viewers) and gathered 12.27 million moviegoers, writing a record as the "Along with the Gods" franchise became the first in Korean cinema history to have both its first and second parts surpass 10 million viewers.
The "Along with the Gods" series achieved remarkable success not only in the domestic Korean market but also internationally. Both Part 1 and Part 2 ranked side by side as the No. 1 and No. 2 highest-grossing Korean films of all time in Taiwan. Building on the success of Part 1, Part 2 recorded the all-time highest opening scores for a Korean film at the time of its release in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Director Kim Yong-hwa's next project, "Along with the Gods: Life and Death", depicts the story in "Gucheon" (the Nine Heavens), a realm where souls linger after being unable to depart for the afterlife due to feelings they could not let go of even in death. Following "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds", which portrayed seven trials judging the sins of the deceased, and "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days", which unraveled the thousand-year-old ties of the three grim reapers, the third film will follow the journey of the protagonist "Sol-i", who is caught between life and death, crossing nine worlds to find a song left unsung.
Dexter, which is participating as an investor in the production of Part 3 following Parts 1 and 2, will oversee all of post-production, including VFX (visual effects), DI (digital intermediate color grading), sound design, and mixing. Dexter previously brought the afterlife of "Along with the Gods" to live-action reality with VFX used in more than 90% of the scenes in Parts 1 and 2, and enhanced the overall quality by overseeing the entire post-production process, including digital color grading (DI) and sound design and mixing, which completed the series' unique tone and emotion. Utilizing the technology that brought seven hells to the screen, Dexter will bring the nine worlds of "Gucheon" to life this time.
Dexter Studios CEOs Kim Wook and Kang Jong-ik stated, "The 'Along with the Gods' series is a monumental project that demonstrated how combining Korea's VFX technology with high-quality IP can create films that are widely loved by the public." They added, "Once again, we will craft a story and visual world that only we can create, delivering a K-movie that combines entertainment and artistry capable of becoming a mega-hit in the global market."
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)