OMNISCIENT READER live-action film drops July premiere date

Get ready for July 23: Omniscient Reader live-action film drops in Korea.

The highly anticipated Omniscient Reader live-action film is officially set to premiere in Korea on July 23. A brand-new trailer teases the moment Kim Dokja (Ahn Hyoseop) finishes reading his favorite webnovel, only for the story to become terrifyingly real. As his train screeches to a halt, a dokkaebi named Bihyung appears and announces a deadly mission: “Kill at least one living thing.” Chaos erupts as passengers turn on each other, and Kim Dokja fights to stay alive, while the novel’s protagonist Yoo Joonghyuk (Lee Minho) watches with eerie calm.

The trailer gives fans a glimpse of the film’s intense action and stunning effects, including a dramatic scene where Yoo Joonghyuk narrowly misses slicing Kim Dokja in half. From the looks of it, the movie will cover the Green Zone/Emergency Defense arc.

New stills reveal more of the cast in action. We see Kim Dokja meeting allies like Yoo Sangah (Chae Soobin), Lee Hyunsung (Shin Seungho), and Lee Gilyoung (Kwon Eun Seong) on the train, as well as scenes from Geumho Station where the group encounters Jung Huiwon (Nana) and Lee Jihye (BLACKPINK‘s Jisoo).

A global phenomenon, singNsong‘s webnovel Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint was first published in 2018 and has 516 chapters for the main story, 35 chapters for the epilogue, and is currently publishing the side stories. The story follows Kim Dokja, an office worker who has been the only reader of a webnovel called Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse, for the past 10 years. When he finishes the novel, he receives a message from the author who thanks him for his support and tells him the novel will be paid content in just a few minutes. What the author didn’t tell him was that the novel would soon become reality and as the sole person who knows the ending, Kim Dokja will have to find some way to survive. Along the way, he meets Yoo Joonghyuk, the protagonist who has a special ability that allows him to restart from the beginning every time he dies.

The webnovel inspired a hit webcomic illustrated by Sleepy-C (REDICE Studio), currently available on WEBTOON with nearly 480 million views as of June 19.

Directed by Kim Byung-woo and produced by Won Dong-yun, the film appears to take creative liberties, which some fans have criticized. Producer Won responded by assuring viewers that the film remains faithful to the source material.

No international release date has been announced yet, but Korean viewers can catch Omniscient Reader in theaters on July 23.

Source: Lotte Entertainment