‘Hellbound’ creator gives update on season 2, teases third zombie movie in ‘Train to Busan’ world
Hellbound is currently the most-watched series on Netflix right now, jumping to the first position in world rankings for non-English TV series.
The South Korean dark fantasy series directed by Yeon Sang-ho, based on his own webtoon of the same name, is about supernatural beings appearing out of nowhere to condemn people to Hell on a predetermined date.
The series focuses on a cult-like religious group taking advantage of the chaos, while others try to uncover the truth behind the strange occurrences.
The six-episode series dropped on Nov. 19, and became the world's most watched Netflix series the next day, surpassing Squid Game. Therefore, it should be no surprise that some fans are already looking for information on season 2.
In a recent interview with Variety, Hellbound’s creator Yeon Sang-ho, who is best known for directing acclaimed films Train to Busan (2016) and Peninsula (2020), detailed his plans for the series second season and teased a potential third installment in his zombie saga.
The director said Hellbound’s sequel will follow the original model, releasing first as a webtoon, and later in live-action format.
Hellbound came to life first as a two-part animated film before being extended into a webtoon for Korean digital platform Naver. The latter became a "proof of concept" for a live-action original series that was ultimately commissioned by Netflix.
The original webtoon is set to be released sometime in the second half of next year, and there are currently no specific plans for season 2 filming as of this writing.
“As a creator, Netflix is a good platform. There are no restrictions that come with being introduced first in Korea, so free planning is possible. It is also a great advantage and a new experience to be able to simultaneously release and see reactions in countries of different cultures,” Yeon said. “It was my first work with Netflix and it was successful, but if I do it again with Netflix, I won’t take a similar approach, I will do something new.”
The final episode is left on a cliffhanger note, hinting at some possibilities should the series be renewed for a second seeason.
In the same interview with Variety, the director also shared that he has some ideas for a third installment in the zombie trilogy that falls somewhere between Train to Busan and Peninsula.
“Personally, I do have some ideas in terms of further development of what happens after “Peninsula.” But as for whether I will create that into a film, it’s something that I do want to do,” said Yeon.
“However, because there are a lot of productions that I’m working on currently, I’m thinking that I have to sort of organize the ideas and work on what I have to work on. Up until now I have been someone who’s been an individual creator. But these days I’m thinking that maybe I need to come up with a system in order to really bring all of my creative visions to life,” he added.
‘Hellbound’ Creator Yeon Sang-ho Details Season 2 Plans, Teases Third Zombie Movie in World of ‘Train to Busan’ https://t.co/J3WOfdyULM
— Variety (@Variety) November 27, 2021
According to the director, while Peninsula focused on car chase scenes, he wants to explore the same restricted feel as Train to Busan in another film rather than adapt it for a live-action series.
"The story that I’m thinking about after that would be closer to Train to Busan, where the story will be carried out in a small and restricted space. That’s something that I have in mind currently. So in terms of the genre, you could say that it’s between Train to Busan and Peninsula,” said Yeon.
Season 1 of Hellbound is currently streaming on Netflix.