Netflix adapting 'Solo Leveling' into live-action series

Netflix is adapting the popular web novel and anime "Solo Leveling" into a live-action Korean TV series, with Byeon Woo-seok set to star as Sung Jin-woo.

Byeon, known for his roles in "Lovely Runner" and "Record of Youth," will portray Sung Jin-woo, an E-rank hunter who gains supernatural abilities after a near-death experience inside one of the mysterious Gates and becomes humanity's strongest defender against threats from beyond.

The series is co-directed by Lee Hae-jun and Kim Byung-seo, produced by Kakao Entertainment and Sanai Pictures, and promises vivid characters, dynamic action sequences, and fantastical dungeons with the help of a world-class global VFX team.

"Solo Leveling," written by Chugong in 2016, has expanded into webtoons, anime, and video games, earning more than 14.3 billion cumulative views worldwide.

The story's rise is marked by the loss of DUBU (Jang Su-rak), the artist known for his bold illustrations that defined the Solo Leveling webtoon until his passing in July 2022 at age 40 from a chronic illness.

Its anime adaptation became the first Korean animation to dominate the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, winning several recognitions including Anime of the Year and Best Action.