A live-action adaptation of Solo Leveling is in the works at Netflix, with K-drama actor Byeon Woo-seok playing protagonist Sung Jin-woo. The news was confirmed via Netflix’s official website and X account.
Solo Leveling originated as a web novel by author Chugong, which is set in an RPG-style world where Hunters battle against monsters. We follow Sung Jin-woo, a low-rank Hunter who gains extraordinary abilities after a near-death experience. As he levels up, he becomes humanity’s unexpected hope, defending against monstrous threats emerging from beyond the mysterious Gates.
The novel was later adapted into a webtoon and anime series, with the latter making history as the first Korean animation to win nine major categories at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, including the coveted Anime of the Year award. Netflix has shared that its live-action adaptation will feature “dynamic action sequences and exhilarating quests, brought to life by a world-class global VFX team”.
Byeon Woo-seok, who plays Sung Jin-woo, is a model and actor best known for his award-winning performance in the K-drama series Lovely Runner. The series will be co-directed by Lee Hae-jun and Kim Byung-seo, who previously produced films such as Ashfall, Like a Virgin, Castaway on the Moon, My Dictator and Cold Eyes.
Solo Leveling fans have a lot to look forward to, from this live-action adaptation, to an upcoming action-roguelite game from Netmarble. Read all about it here.
