Korean and U.S. Content Dominate Streaming Consumption in Southeast Asia

Los Angeles-based Library Pictures International has inked a deal to co-finance a slate of Korean-language films with South Korean studio Next Entertainment World, also known as NEW. Financial terms weren't disclosed.

Korean media group Next Entertainment World has partnered with L.A.’s Library Pictures International, signing a three-year co-financing slate for the production of Korean-language films.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefKorean Oscar-winner “Parasite” gleefully poked fun at South Korea’s bourgeoisie. Hur Jin-ho’s “The Dinner” is set to give the middle classes another skewering.The project is an adaptation of Dutch novel ‘Het Diner’ (“The Dinner”) written by Herman Koch.

On Feb. 22, Korean cafe Spoon by H on Beverly Boulevard announced via Instagram that it would close the next weekend.

Gallery: The career of Betty White in pictures (Espresso)Youn shared the historic first with "Minari" co-star Steven Yeun, the first Asian-American to be nominated for a best actor Oscar. Born in Seoul, Yuen and his family moved to Canada and then the United States when he was a child.

Rebecca Davis editorZhang Yimou has been hard at work alongside his daughter Zhang Mo shooting his upcoming blockbuster “Sniper,” which is now set for an October release, its production firm said.The project was explicitly conceived as a nationalistic commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, known in China as the “War to Resist U.S.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefA notable launch for “Minari” lifted the South Korea box office to its second highest weekend of 2021. The Korean-language American-made drama performed 80% higher than the weekend’s other significant new release Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon.”Opening in first place, “Minari” clocked up $1.68 million over the weekend, according to data from the Korean Film Council’s KOBIS box office tracking service.

Saban Films has picked up the horror-thriller Hide and Seek forNorth America, the U.K. and Ireland.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefLeading Korean entertainment conglomerate CJ ENM is to break the theatrical window in the world’s fourth largest movie market with a simultaneous cinema and streaming release for “Seobok,” one of the year’s hottest Korean movies.The group said that it will distribute the sci-fi actioner in theaters on April 15 and also make it available on its own streaming service, Tving.While Hollywood studio Disney has chosen to release titles such as “Mulan” with simultaneous

Apple TV+ is moving into Korean-language originals with a series based on a popular webtoon Dr. Brain that will star Parasite’s Lee Sun-Kyun.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterApple has ordered a live-action series adaptation of the Korean webtoon “Dr. Brain.” The series will be the first completely Korean-language project at the streamer.Kim Jee-Woon will write and direct, with “Parasite” star Lee Sun-Kyun set to star.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefTriumph and pain were bedfellows last year for the Korean film industry. But Berlin’s European Film Market and the imminent Hong Kong FilMart see Korean companies putting on a brave face.Korean cinemas were in defensive mode early on in the coronavirus pandemic, as a population familiar with epidemics chose to stay away from crowded places.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe end came quietly with the humdrum announcement of a deal between two state-owned TV groups, China Central Television (CCTV) and South Korean public broadcaster KBS.

Carole Horst Triumph and pain were bedfellows last year for the Korean film industry. But Berlin’s European Film Market and the imminent Hong Kong FilMart see Korean companies putting on a brave face.Korean cinemas were in a defensive mode early on in the coronavirus pandemic, as a population familiar with epidemics chose to stay away from crowded places.

EXCLUSIVE: The Remake Co, FilmSharks’ specialty label handling remake rights, has closed a deal with Korea’s Covenant Pictures for rights to the Argentinian feature Crazy Heart.

Epik High’s albums have been restored on Spotify after  hundreds of K-pop releases were pulled from the service earlier this week after an expired licensing deal with South Korean distributor Kakao M.On March 2, Tablo of Epik High confirmed that the group’s albums, including their most recent release, ‘Epik High Is Here (Part 1)’, have been made available again on Spotify. However, the original streaming numbers on the records have vanished, he added.“Did all we can to restore our music.

Netflix reaffirmed its commitment to South Korea's globally appealing entertainment industry Thursday, unveiling plans to spend nearly $500 million in 2021 on films and television series produced in the country. The plans were unveiled during Netflix's splashy "See What's Next Korea" event held in Seoul, where Korean directors and stars gathered with Netflix creative executives to promote the company's current and upcoming local-language originals.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefMultinational streaming giant Netflix is positioning itself to be a dominant force in South Korean entertainment, a country where films, TV shows and K-pop music have become global successes.The company said Thursday that it will spend close to half a billion dollars on Korean content in the current year and expand its production slate.New elements include two stand-alone films: “Moral Sense” and “Carter.” The former, to be directed by Park Hyun-jin (“Like for