The owner of Disney announced a massive expansion into Asian content on Thursday with plans to Greenlight more than 50 original titles from the region in 2023.
Many of the programs will be presented in local languages, from Bahasa Indonesia to Mandarin.
that has become the company's The move comes as fans worldwide buzz over Squid Game, a South Korean hit from that has become the company's top show globally. The streaming king told CNN Business exclusively this week that it has been viewed by 111 million viewers since its rollout in September, making it the biggest series launch of the company's history till date.
Netflix is streaming kdramas in India and is doubling down on Asia with mobile/assisted deals. But China remains elusive Jessica Kam-Engle, Disney's head of content and development for Asia Pacific, noted the popularity of Korean content in a presentation shown on Thursday to the media, saying that it had evolved into a global phenomenon. To capture that interest, the company unveiled a sneak peek of its own slate of upcoming Korean shows, including Snowdrop, a romantic drama series starring Jisoo, a member of the popular K-pop band Blackpink declined to share how much its new investment in original content would cost. declined to share how much its new investment in original content would cost. The company announced its flagship streaming service, Disney in late 2019 but has impressed analysts and investors so far. Luke Kang, president of Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific, at a news conference held on Thursday. Executives are now gearing up for more launches, with debuts expected in Seoul, Hong Kong and Taiwan next month. The local heavyweight will have to rely on the help of Hollywood creators to blitz each market, according to Luke Kang, the company's president in Asia Pacific. Consumers across the region are increasingly demanding the best of local language content and the best of global, he said. Disney wants to combine the two by leaning into its existing history and storied army of talent that include creatives from Pixar and Marvel. The company announced plans to connect hundreds of Asian creators to Disney global executives and producers through masterclasses, live panels and other activities. I believe we are at an inflection point, said Kang. Streaming is now becoming mainstream and Disney is well placed to play a central role.