The Underworld is finally opening its gates for a long-anticipated arrival. After nearly seven years of development, Prime Video has officially greenlit the animated series adaptation of the global phenomenon Lore Olympus. Based on Rachel Smythe’s massive Webtoon hit, the project is a joint venture between Webtoon Productions and the legendary Jim Henson Company—a partnership that has piqued the interest of dark fantasy and creature-design enthusiasts alike.
While mainstream audiences often associate the source material with its vibrant neon aesthetic and romantic tension, horror and dark fantasy aficionados have their eyes on the project for a different reason: the involvement of the Jim Henson Company. Since development began in 2019, the core intrigue for the ScreamDesk crowd has been how the masters of macabre puppetry and visual world-building will translate the chthonic elements of the Greek Underworld into a serialized format.
The Henson Touch: From Muppets to Monsters
The Jim Henson Company is no stranger to the darker corners of the imagination. For those of us who grew up on the unsettling beauty of The Dark Crystal and the labyrinthine horrors of Jim Henson’s earlier work, their name carries a specific weight. Their involvement suggests that the Lore Olympus adaptation may lean heavily into the "dark fantasy" end of the spectrum, utilizing the intricate, often eerie creature designs they are famous for.
In Lore Olympus, the Underworld isn't just a backdrop for a love story; it is a sprawling, shadowy corporate-industrial purgatory filled with ancient spirits, monstrous guardians, and the weight of mortality. The opportunity to see the Henson team tackle the design of characters like the three-headed Cerberus or the haunting personifications of the Fates offers a glimpse into a world that could be as visually unsettling as it is narratively compelling. If their work on The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is any indication, we can expect a level of tactile, atmospheric detail that transcends standard animation tropes.
A Chthonic Descent into Dark Fantasy
The transition of Lore Olympus to Prime Video marks a significant moment for adult-oriented animation. The streaming giant has already established itself as a home for gritty, boundary-pushing content with series like Invincible and The Legend of Vox Machina. By positioning Lore Olympus on this platform, the creators have the freedom to explore the more mature and mythological horrors inherent in the Persephone myth.
Fans of the "darker side" of mythology should find plenty to chew on. The series explores themes of power, trauma, and the literal descent into a kingdom of the dead. In the hands of the Henson Company, the surrealism of the Underworld can be fully realized, moving beyond the bright pinks of the surface world into a realm defined by shadows and ancient, looming entities. This isn't just a story about gods falling in love; it's a story about the terrifying scale of the divine and the monstrous nature of the figures who rule our afterlife.
The Long Road from Webtoon to Screen
The journey to this greenlight has been a marathon. When the news first broke in late 2019 that Smythe’s work was being optioned, the landscape of streaming was vastly different. Now, in 2026, the demand for high-concept, visually distinct fantasy has reached a fever pitch. The partnership between Webtoon’s storytelling engine and the Henson Company’s visual expertise represents a rare synergy that could redefine how we view mythological adaptations.
As production ramps up, the question remains how much the series will lean into the eerie, Gothic undertones of its setting. While it remains a drama at its core, the intersection of Greek tragedy and the Jim Henson Company’s history of nightmare-fuel creature work makes this one to watch for anyone who appreciates the more haunting side of the fantasy genre. Stay tuned to ScreamDesk as we monitor the development for more updates on creature designs and casting news.