"Along with the Gods," the monumental box-office sensation that made Korean cinematic history by scoring back-to-back 10-million-viewer hits, has officially announced the production of its third installment. The news comes a full eight years after the release of the second film, "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days."
Production company Dexter Studios announced on October 20, "Director Kim Yong-hwa has confirmed 'Along with the Gods: Life and Death' as his next project and has begun full-scale preparations with the goal of starting production in the second half of 2027."
Based on author Joo Ho-min's webtoon of the same name, "Along with the Gods" is a blockbuster franchise whose first installment, "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds" (2017), drew 14.41 million viewers, while its sequel, "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" (2018), brought in 12.28 million viewers. In a Korean film market where cinematic sequels had historically struggled, the franchise achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first ever to surpass 10 million admissions consecutively.
Following the success of the second film, director Kim Yong-hwa and co-producer CEO Won Dong-yeon noted, "If a sequel is made, it will likely take the form of producing Parts 3 and 4 simultaneously," though specific production news did not materialize at the time. Since then, director Kim focused on expanding Dexter Studios, the company he established, while keeping busy producing "Ashfall" and "Project Silence" as well as directing "The Moon." Now, as if the timing is finally right, the production of Part 3 has been made official after roughly eight years.
The announcement of a third "Along with the Gods" film offers a welcome boost of energy to the movie industry, as it marks the launch of a rare large-scale blockbuster project amid downsized production budgets in the post-pandemic era.
"Along with the Gods: Life and Death" will unfold in "Gucheon" (Nine Heavens), a realm where souls linger when unable to move on to the afterlife due to attachments they could not let go of even in death. Following "The Two Worlds," which depicted seven underworld trials judging the sins of the deceased, and "The Last 49 Days," which unraveled the thousand-year-old connections among the three grim reapers, the new chapter will chronicle the journey of the protagonist, Sol, who is caught between life and death as she crosses nine worlds in search of a song she was never able to sing.
An industry insider teased, "While this new story unfolds against the backdrop of Gucheon, the three grim reapers—Gang-rim, Haewonmaek, and Deok-choon—are expected to remain central to the narrative."
Casting for the upcoming film has not yet been finalized. However, Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon, who anchored the franchise, are reported to have verbally agreed to return. With the primary stars of "Along with the Gods" currently ranking among the busiest actors in the film industry, aligning schedules will likely be the key factor.
"Along with the Gods: Life and Death" has commenced pre-production with the goal of beginning filming in the second half of 2027.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)