Lee Woo-hyuk's fantasy novel Toemarok rumored to get a film adaptation and be produced by Han Jae-rim

Lee Woo-hyuk's fantasy thriller novel Toemarok is reported to get a movie adaptation as South Korean film company FINECUT acquired international movie rights to the novel. Earlier, the novel was adapted into the 1998 film The Soul Guardians, which had displeased the author with its quality. 30 years later, Lee Woo-hyuk is set to oversee the whole production process of the film-making of Toemarok.

On March 7, reports surfaced online that the success of Exhuma starring Kim Go-eun, Lee Do-hyun, and Choi Min-sik had caused a synergy that pushed Lee Woo-hyuk's popular fantasy thriller novel into the filmmaking pipeline. Emergency Declaration director Han Jae-rim is reportedly going to bring the author's novel into live action.

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Toemarok author Lee Woo-hyuk intends to pen the movie script himself for the film adaptation

While the discussion of filming his novels has advanced significantly, Lee Woo-hyuk said in an interview with The Korea Times that he is not yet authorized to discuss the specifics.

He went on to assert that although there are many skilled screenwriters out there, he intends to compose the draft screenplay of Toemarok (literal translation: Exorcism Book) as he feels no one knows his work as well as he does.

Lee Woo-hyuk said,

"I am not ready to talk about the specifics yet, but there has been considerable progress on filming my novels. I will write the draft scripts. I know there are a lot of talented screenwriters out there and I am not disrespecting any of them. But no one understands my novels better than myself.''

The film adaptation of Lee Woo-hyuk's best-selling epic novel, which went on to sell almost 10 million copies after its 1994 publication, is yet to finalize its director. Lee Woo-hyuk had also informed The Korea Times that Toemarok, a four-volume fantasy epic novel, might be turned into a film trilogy.

However, on March 7, 2024, Magnum Nine told OSEN News that they are in the process of filming the novel, although it is yet to be determined if they will turn it into a drama or a movie. The production company Magnum Nine was founded and owned by director Han Jae-rim who directed movies such as The Face Reader and The King, among others.

In 1993, Lee began writing the story about demon repellers (exorcists) in Korea's urban back alleys against wicked supernatural forces, on the Internet. The book portrays the actions of Korean exorcists and is a massively hybrid work that blends many different faiths and ideas.

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Lee Woo-hyuk's novel Toemarok gets an animated film makeover by FINECUT

Meanwhile, Screendaily reported in January 2024, that Toemarok was turned into an animated film by the name Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning. The title was unveiled at the European Film Market in February and is the directorial debut of Kim Dongchul.

Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning is constructed in a cartoon-render manner that blends the appearance of 2D animation with the visual richness of 3D. Post-production has reportedly been underway since February 2024. South Korean film company FINECUT is set to make the initial video available to purchasers from February 15–21 at the European Film Market.

The plot of the animated film is inspired by Toemarok and is a background narrative that narrates the quartet's first adventure: a young lady gifted with telekinesis, a man who lost his sister to a demonic entity, an ostracized priest, and a kid savant with unfathomable power.

Their task is to assist Father Park, a former doctor who became a priest, in defending a strong but innocent youngster from his dishonest owner in a remote temple. If it does not work out, the same tragedy that initially drove the doctor to religion will happen again.

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On March 7, 2024, Magnum Nine informed OSEN News that director Han Jae-rim might not be the director of Toemarok and that they are considering several approaches and possibilities.