Disney+ will be home to even more Asia-Pacific content, which complements the expansion of their streaming service this side of the world — these include 18 local-language Originals from South Korea, Japan, greater China, Indonesia and Australia. The diverse range of shows spans across series and films across genres such as anime, drama, comedy, romance, science-fiction, variety shows and documentaries, all announced at a regional press event today.
This marks the largest offering slated so far, and especially heartening news since the global brand is working with top content creators in the region for these new projects. The new APAC titles will be available on the streaming service over the next year, and will be part of Disney’s ambition to greenlight over 50 APAC Originals by 2023.
From an upcoming BLACKPINK documentary and k-drama titles starring k-pop idols Jisoo and Kang Daniel, to beefed-up anime offerings and Southeast Asian entertainment content, here are the launches you can look forward to:
SOUTH KOREA
It’s no surprise that with the overnight success of Squid Game and popular series such as Crash Landing On You, Goblin, Skycastle and more, Disney is keen to ride the hallyu. Even more so with the upcoming rollout of Disney+ in South Korea to launch on 12 November, and the high popularity of k-content in the region.
Hence, the most exciting launches announced include two romantic series featuring crossover k-pop idols Jisoo, of BLACKPINK fame, and Kang Daniel. The first, Snowdrop, also sees top Korean actor Jung Hae-in on board, and together with the creators of Skycastle, is set to be a melodrama series of a young couple in 1980s Seoul. As for Rookies, Kang’s debut drama is a coming-of-age series set in Korea’s elite police academy.
Other titles include thrillers and fantasy dramas, as well as new variety show Outun by Running Man, a spin-off with the cast of one of the longest-running and well-loved variety shows from Korea; you’ll see original members Kim Joon-kook, HAHA and Jee Seok-jin gracing screens near you soon.
Exclusive on Disney+ and in theatres is also BLACKPINK: The Movie, which follows one of the most popular k-pop girl groups in the world, in celebration of their fifth anniversary. This will see over 10 sets of live performances from recent concerts, including <THE SHOW> in 2021, along with never-before-seen interviews with Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa.
JAPAN
From Japan, it seems like there’s quite a focus on anime content here, whether it’s an adaption fresh from the pages of a popular manga, or moody and fantastical sci-fi pieces that celebrate the original artwork of dedicated artists and studios.
Of these, Summer Time Rendering is set to be a hit, and is based on one of the top-performing manga titles on Japanese web manga app Shonen Jump+. Don’t be fooled by the serene title image, this one features a suspenseful plot set on a secluded summer island in Hitogashima.
For more of a sci-fi slant, BLACK ROCK SHOOTER DAWN FALL is a completely new offering of the popular BLACK★ROCK SHOOTER franchise, now in the safe hands of scriptwriter Makoto Fukami who’s best known for his work in the must-watch dystopian anime series PSYCHO-PASS. Other titles include sci-fi YOJOHAN TIME MACHINE BLUES (working title), an adaptation of popular mobile game “Twisted Wonderland”, and even Tokyo MER (Mobile Emergency Room), a live-action medical drama done in collaboration with Japanese broadcast channel, TBS.
OTHER KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Here are the other Originals highlights announced during the event, including titles produced in Indonesia, Greater China, and Australia.
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- Indonesia — Susah Sinyal (or Bad Signal), a comedic drama series about a group of hotel employees managing a classy resort hotel in West Java.
- Indonesia — Tira, a new superhero series produced together with Bumilangit, a leading character-based entertainment company in Indonesia.
- Greater China — Small & Mighty, a comedic drama about self-discovery, featuring veteran actor Chen Bo-Lin, his first comeback appearance since Taiwanese drama “In Time With You”.
- Greater China — Delicacies Destiny, a Chinese period drama and food rom-com by lauded producer Yu Zheng, which follows the success of his previous endeavour, “Story of Yanxi Palace”.
- Australia — Shipwreck Hunters, the first Australian documentary for Disney+ that documents iconic shipwreck mysteries in Western Australia’s vast coastline.
The Disney+ streaming service is currently available in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, with upcoming launches in South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan in November 2021.
more info at disneyplus.com.
all images, courtesy of disney.
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