Kakao Entertainment announced that the horror thriller movie ‘Gonjiam’ will be remade into the chat fiction ‘Gonjiam’ on KakaoPage and will begin its serialization on the 17th. They plan to present a new sense of fear that’s different from movies, by adding the story telling, sound effects, and background scenes unique to chat fiction.
KakaoPage’s ‘Chat Fiction’ is a form of short-form content catered to the MZ generation and is characterized by its immersive nature that makes you feel like you are a part of the chat with the characters in the story, 3 dimensional backgrounds, music, and narration effects, which provide a more immersive experience of the content. Since its launch in September until now, they have showcased over 100 works from various genres like thrillers, slice of life romance, and fantasy, and they have built up a loyal fanbase as they try new concepts like ‘1for9’, which depicts the fictional world of the idol group YOUNITE.
The movie ‘Gonjiam’ is a horror thriller story that depicts the experiences of 7 thrill seekers in the setting of Korea’s Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital, which was chosen as one of the ‘7 freakiest places around the world’ by CNN. The movie unfolds from the perspective of each actor equipped with a personal mounted camera in the Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital, which is a real location that existed and produced numerous creepy experiences and was known as a mecca of horror experiences and was able to vividly convey tension and extreme fear. It garnered around 2.7 million viewers and was recorded as the second highest grossing Korean horror film.
KakaoPage’s chat fiction ‘Gonjiam’ takes the 1st person point-of-view and mise-en-scene from the film ‘Gonjiam’, and remade them with the unique sound, video, and special effects of chat fictions. The background, sound, and special effects that change according to the speed the reader taps on the screen is expected to give a high level of immersion and a new level of terror to the story. Aspects of the characters, such as their personalities, traits, and relationships, which were not covered in the movie, were added as details to the story, making for a special addition. It will provide an opportunity for fans of the film ‘Gonjiam’ to appreciate the work in a new way.
Kakao Entertainment and Showbox plan to follow up on their chat fiction ‘Gonjiam’ with chat fiction spin-offs based on each character of ‘Gonjiam’. They have also drawn attention with their plans to make the film ‘In Our Prime’ starring Minsik Choi Donghwi Kim, released last March, into a chat fiction as well.
Seon-jae Hwang, the Director of Business Development at Kakao Entertainment, said that, “We believe that the film ‘Gonjiam’, which brought the spotlight to the Korean horror film genre with their selection of new material and production methods that deviated from conventional horror film narrative methods, and ‘chat fictions’, which provide story content in a new way, have a lot in common.” He then went on to say, “We hope you enjoy the charms of the chat fiction ‘Gonjiam’, which offers a different kind of horror from the movie, and we hope you stay tuned to see the other chat fictions Kakao Entertainment and Showbox have in store for the future.”
Hyun-jeong Lee, the Head of the Content Operation Division at Showbox, introduced the project, saying, “The movie ‘Gonjiam’ is a super IP that is still drawing attention in Korean and overseas content markets following their great reception from viewers at the time of its release,” and said, “Having been expanded into a new form of content as a chat fiction, this version of ‘Gonjiam’ will provide a different kind of sensational experience from the movie.” She then went on to say, “You will be able to access high-quality content based on Showbox’s IP on the various platforms of KakaoPage,” and said that, “Stay tuned for the continued collaboration between the two companies.”
Kakao Entertainment will also have special events to celebrate the serialization of the chat fiction ‘Gonjiam’. From the 17th to the 27th, 1,000 readers who have who have read over 5 episodes of ‘Gonjiam’ will be given 1,000 KakaoPage cash, and 1,000 readers who have read Kakaopage’s recommended stories including ‘Gonjiam’ will be given 2,000 cash. More details can be found on KakaoPage’s announcements.
Source: Pangyo Techno Valley Official Newsroom