Lion Forge Entertainment and Webtoon Productions are teaming up to bring the zombie horror-comedy “ShootAround” to the big screen 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 comic by creator “Suspu” (Susanna Nousiainen) has amassed 28 million views.
Here’s the official plot description: “When the zombie apocalypse hits Penny Hall High, the state’s best girls’ basketball team must join forces with the boys they loathe to survive the most nightmarish scenario imaginable: 24 hours locked inside their high school with each other… and zombies. But mostly each other. ‘Zombieland’ meets ‘Bring It On’ in this life-or-death battle against a zombie outbreak and — perhaps more terrifyingly — teenagedom.”
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 head of global film Jason Goldberg will executive produce for Webtoon Productions. White is rewriting the script based on a previous draft by Mike Dow and Devon Kelly.
“’ShootAround’ is a fresh, high-energy take on both the zombie and teen sports genres, balancing humor and horror with a character-driven edge,” said Lion Forge’s Steward. “Partnering with Webtoon Productions and Aiyana brings together an incredible creative team to reimagine this fan-favorite story in a way that feels fun and wildly entertaining for today’s audiences.”
“We’re always looking for standout IP with the potential to grow beyond a single format, and ‘ShootAround’ is exactly that,” said Lion Forge’s Sperber. “It’s a bold, high-concept world with a built-in global fanbase and the kind of dynamic characters that lend themselves to long-term franchise storytelling. This partnership with Webtoon Productions is a natural extension of our strategy to nurture and expand compelling IP into enduring, multi-platform franchises that resonate with audiences everywhere.”
“When the zombie apocalypse makes its way to high school, all bets are off, and we knew the hilarious and horrific moments in ‘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 the exceptional producing team at Lion Forge as our teammates on this project. This is going to be the adaptation fans have been waiting for!”
“I devoured all 70 chapters of the webcomic’s first season in one sitting,” said White. “I was taken not only with how funny and absurd it was, but also with how much heart was at the center of it. I’m so excited to bring such a fun, unique world to life.”
In addition to her work on “Severance” and “The Night Agent,” White got her start on Showtime’s “Superpumped” as a staff writer. White’s feature, “The Weatherman,” has Amy Aniobi’s SuperSpecial attached to produce alongside Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films.
White is represented by Untitled Entertainment, Verve Talent & Literary Agency and Annie H Lee at Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman. Lion Forge Entertainment is represented by Activist Artists Management and Jon Kanak from Lumify.
Lion Forge Entertainment develops and produces animated and live-action content targeting kids and family, YA and adult audiences. Most recently, the studio’s fantasy series “Iyanu” was a breakout on HBO Max and Cartoon Network last year and will debut its second season this spring. The company also recently joined forces with “Game of Thrones” author George R. R. Martin to adapt the novella “A Dozen Tough Jobs” into an adult animated feature film; executive produced “Jacob Beats Up Nate” and “A Dog’s Perfect Christmas” for Netflix; and set a strategic partnership with Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts).
Webtoon Productions’ recent and upcoming projects include “Lore Olympus” with Prime Video and The Jim Henson Company, the “Sidelined” franchise 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.
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