Wattpad WEBTOON Studios Announces “Apocalyptic Horseplay” Animated Series Adaptation
Based on the WEBTOON webcomic with 17 million views
LOS ANGELES AND TORONTO – May 9, 2024 – Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, the fan-driven studio and IP business from WEBTOON Entertainment, is developing an animated series based on the supernatural WEBTOON favorite “Apocalyptic Horseplay.” The series will be written by “Workaholics” co-creator Dominic Russo.
From French creator Boredman, Apocalyptic Horseplay is a comedic take on the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The horsemen love their job and are counting down the days until they can destroy humanity. But there's a hitch: humans are now experts at self-destruction, outdoing even the Horsemen, so God gives them the boot. Now, The four horsemen have come up with an idiotic scheme to get their jobs back by using their inherently evil powers to fix humanity and save the world…so that they can turn around and finally destroy everything themselves. Already a hit with fans around the world, Apocalyptic Horseplay has 17 million views on WEBTOON.
Russo will write and executive produce the series, with Aron Levitz, David Madden, Sydney Bright serving as executive producers for Wattpad WEBTOON Studios.
Russo is the co-creator and executive producer of Comedy Central’s Emmy-nominated hit series “Workaholics.” His additional projects include Defy Media and YouTube Originals' “Part Timers,” the WEB3 animated series “Space Junk,” and “Disruptors,” which is currently in development with Kelsey Grammer’s Grammnet Productions. Russo is also the author of “The Party Bible: The Good Book for Great Times.”
“WEBTOON is a haven for a diverse range of genres, including outstanding comedies,” said Sydney Bright, Head of Global Animation for Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. “We are thrilled to continue to expand our slate in the primetime comedy space, showcasing titles that are both funny and heartwarming. With Dominic's fantastic ensemble sensibilities, we aim to bring Apocalyptic Horseplay to life giving both the fans of Boredman's comic and new viewers a series they can't wait to watch.”
"When the team at Wattpad WEBTOON Studios reached out with the unbelievable opportunity to develop a comedy series about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, I thought, the End must really be Neigh, and I couldn’t be more into writing a comedy about it,” said Russo. “I'm excited to work with such great original material from Boredman, and I can't wait to write these dysfunctional, wicked characters in a comedic setting.”
Wattpad WEBTOON Studios’s growing slate of upcoming animation projects include Rachel Smythe’s WEBTOON sensation “Lore Olympus" with The Jim Henson Company; sci-fi epic “HAWK” with MCU screenwriter Christopher Yost; “Love Advice from the Great Duke of Hell” with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment; and A. Rasen’s nightmare-filled WEBTOON hit “Gremoryland'' with Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment.
Russo is represented by Echo Lake Entertainment and The Kaplan Stahler Agency.