SEOUL, September 15, 2023 — Kakao Entertainment has announced that it produced the Amazon Original Movie “Knuckle Girl” based on the popular webtoon. The Japanese language movie produced by Kross Pictures, a subsidiary of Kakao Entertainment, will be exclusively premiered in more than 240 countries and territories on November 2 through Prime Video.

Adapted from a webtoon released on KakaoPage and other platforms, the crime action film depicts the story of a professional boxer Ran, who engages in illegal, life-or-death fights to rescue her abducted sister from a dangerous criminal organization. Since its debut in 2014, the webtoon has garnered a solid fan base in countries such as Korea and Japan with its compelling storytelling and vivid action sequences.

In particular, the original webtoon has enjoyed massive popularity in Japan ever since its exclusive release on Piccoma. This is all the more reason why local fans have shown great interest in the upcoming film adaptation, which will bring the webtoon to life with passionate performances by Japanese celebrity actors. The movie boasts an impressive lineup of talent. Ran, the main character that drives the narrative of the film, is played by Ayaka Miyoshi, a global star who has won the hearts of many across Asia including in Japan and China. In addition, several actors with outstanding acting skills participated. In preparation for her role as a boxer, Ayaka Miyoshi underwent intensive training from the Korean action team for six months. The actors are expected to captivate the audience by bringing their charms and originality to their roles and becoming one with their characters.

“Knuckle Girl” is directed by Chang(Yoon Hong-seung), who was invited to the Cannes Film Festival for his movie “The Target”, written by Yu Gap-yeol, who was the screenwriter for the films “Emergency Declaration” and “The Chase,” and adapted by Jung Byung-sik, the author of “The Villainess” and “Confession of Murder”. Its dynamic storyline and aesthetically pleasing scenes will accentuate Ran’s lone struggle to save her missing sister from a criminal organization. Bringing together a crew who are some of the best in the genres of action and crime, the film is set to entertain the audience in a way that adds more dimension to the original webtoon.

Amplifying the buzz around “Knuckle Girl” is that Kakao Entertainment has been involved in the planning and production of the movie based on its original story. Adapted from a popular Kakao webtoon, the film is produced by Kross Pictures, a subsidiary of Kakao Entertainment. Kross Pictures is the first Korean production company to produce an Amazon original Japanese film. Kakao Entertainment plans to emulate the success of “Business Proposal” and “Not Others”, the television series that demonstrated synergy created by the company’s IP(intellectual property) value chain which leverages proprietary stories and media platforms.

The significance of Korea-Japan collaborated live-action film also comes from its international cast and crew which includes a director and a writer from Korea and actors and staff from Japan. “Knuckle Girl” is yet another joint project between the two countries, which follows in the footsteps of the drama “Roppongi Class”, a Japanese remake of the Korean TV series “Itaewon Class” that is based on a Kakao webtoon. Building on the resounding success of its previous original series for simultaneous, worldwide releases on various online screening platforms, Kakao Entertainment will accelerate its drive to tap into global markets by engaging in overseas projects involving local production.

“Thanks to the sweeping success of the original webtoon not only in Korea but in Japan and Taiwan, the upcoming film has attracted attention from fans around the world,” said a Kakao Entertainment representative, “The combination of a director and a writer from Korea, actors from Japan, and a global streaming platform, coupled with an exciting storyline, excellent direction, and brilliant performances, will create a rich, riveting experience that is different from what you would get from the webtoon.”