Lion Forge Entertainment and Webtoon Productions are teaming up to bring the zombie horror comedy “ShootAround” to screens as a YA live-action film.
Aiyana K. White, whose credits include “Severance” and “The Night Agent,” will write the feature based on the webtoon webcomic of the same name. The manga by author “Suspu” (Susanna Nousiainen) has been viewed 28 million times.
The official plot description is as follows: “When a zombie apocalypse hits Penny Hole High School, the state’s best girls’ basketball team must join forces with the boys they hate to survive the most nightmarish scenario imaginable: trapped inside the high school for 24 hours, with each other…and with zombies. But mostly each other. In this life-or-death battle against a zombie outbreak, ‘Zombieland’ meets ‘Bring It On,’ and perhaps even scarier – the teenage years.” ”
Lion Forge Entertainment founder and CEO David Steward II and president and chief creative officer Stephanie Sperber are producing the film for Lion Forge, which is financing the script. President David Madden and Global Head of Film Jason Goldberg will serve as executive producers for Webtoon Productions. White is rewriting the script based on an earlier draft by Mike Dow and Devon Kelly.
“‘ShootAround’ is a fresh and energetic take on both the zombie and teen sports genres, balancing humor with horror and a character-driven edge,” said Lion Forge’s Steward. “Webtoon Productions’ partnership with Aiyana brings together an incredible creative team to reimagine this fan-favorite story in a way that will be fun and highly entertaining for today’s audiences.”
“We’re always looking for standout IP that has the potential to grow beyond a single format, and ‘ShootAround’ is just that,” said Lion Forge’s Sperber. “This is a bold, high-concept world with a built-in global fanbase and the kind of dynamic characters that lend themselves to long-term series storytelling. This partnership with Webtoon Productions is a natural extension of our strategy to grow and expand compelling IP into enduring multi-platform series that resonate with audiences around the world.”
“When the zombie apocalypse reached a high school, all bets were off, and we knew the hilarious and frightening moments of ‘ShootAround’ would make for a one-of-a-kind genre-blending film adaptation,” said Webtoon’s Goldberg. “We’re thrilled to have the incredibly talented Aiyana K. White and Lion Forge’s outstanding production team as teammates on this project. This will be the movie our fans have been waiting for!”
“I read all 70 chapters of the first season of the webcomic in one sitting,” White said. “I was struck not only by how funny and absurd it was, but also by how much heart there was at the heart of it. I’m so excited to bring such a fun and unique world to life.”
In addition to his work on “Severance” and “The Night Agent,” White began work on Showtime’s “Superpumped” as a staff writer. White’s feature film The Weatherman will be produced by Amy Aniobi’s Superspecial in association with Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films.
White is repped by Untitled Entertainment, Verve Talent & Literary Agency, and Annie H Lee of Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman. Lion Forge Entertainment is repped by Activist Artists Management and JonKanak of Lumify.
Lion Forge Entertainment develops and produces animated and live-action content for children and families, YA and adult audiences. Most recently, the studio’s fantasy series “Iyanu” was a huge hit on HBO Max and Cartoon Network last year, with Season 2 debuting this spring. The company recently collaborated with “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin to adapt the novella “A Dozen Tough Jobs” into an animated feature film for adults. Executive produced “Jacob Beats Up Nate” and “A Dog’s Perfect Christmas” for Netflix. We have also entered into a strategic partnership with Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts).
Webtoon Productions’ recent and upcoming projects include “Lore Olympus” with Prime Video and The Jim Henson Company, “Sidelined” series with Tubi, “Love Me Love Me” with Prime Video, “Stagtown” with Luckychap Entertainment, and “Love Advice From the Great Duke of Hell” with Imagine Entertainment.
