Leading Asian content provider CJ ENM has made a significant expansion to its local language scripted series production pipeline in Hong Kong with the introduction of four scripted series made for global streaming audiences.
Three of the programmes have supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) to produce what the provider says is a streaming first premium scripted series for global audiences by marrying Korean, Singaporean and Regional talents. This collaboration was first announced a year ago under the Capability Partnership Programme.
The new announcement comes on the heels of CJ ENM HK co-producing a high-profile Mandarin series Mom, Don’t Do That! with Taiwanese partner, production house Butt Mountain.
The first three series are co-developed and co-created with Singaporean production partners and each project will be led by a dedicated production outfit. CJ ENM HK will also bring onboard a team of producers from Korea as a creative consultant for each series.
Hungry Souls (Zhao Wei Films) is a five-episode Mandarin mini-series featuring the unlikely, forbidden love story between a young chef and a hungry ghost. It is set against the backdrop of the vibrant and culturally iconic Hungry Ghost Festival, and featuring throwbacks to triad activities in 1970s Singapore.
Venus On Mars (Mocha Chai Laboratories), is a six-part high concept sci-fi, romantic comedy series about an undergraduate student, Julia, who is accidentally transported into a parallel world where there are only men - the ‘M-Earth.’ In this new world in which she is the only female, Julia re-evaluates her own thoughts on feminism, equality between genders, life, and love.
Deep End (Akanga Film Asia) is a psychological thriller about online cyber-crime in Asia. In this series, the viewer enters a world where technology is both liberating and dangerous, a tool where information and images are manipulated, and a place where alarming ideologies are manifested.
All three series will finish casting and commence production in the second half of 2021. CJ ENM HK will distribute these series globally.
“2021 is a year for us here at CJ ENM HK to expand our local language productions for the global streaming audience. Apart from our existing production operation in Thailand, we also want to do more premium scripted content in Mandarin and Bahasa languages,” said Michael Jung, managing director, CJ ENM Hong Kong. “We are thankful for IMDA’s visionary approach and support which helped us kick start our relationships with 3 of the best local production houses in Singapore. We are on the lookout to create more high-quality content together with good partners and creators.”
“I am incredibly thrilled to collaborate with CJ ENM on its slate of premium streaming-first titles - Hungry Souls, Venus on Mars and Deep End - for a global audience,” added June Koh, cluster director, media industry, IMDA. “This is an exciting development and I look forward to working with more multinational media companies to showcase our original stories and create opportunities for our Singaporean talent to hone their artistic and showrunning capabilities.”
Mom, Don’t Do That! is an adaptation of the novel of that name into an 11-episodes series filmed in Taiwan in 4K quality. Based on the true story of the novel’s author Chen Ming-min’s mum who relentlessly surfs the web to find love, the story explores whether a widowed middle-aged woman has the right to pursue new love.
The new announcement comes on the heels of CJ ENM HK co-producing a high-profile Mandarin series Mom, Don’t Do That! with Taiwanese partner, production house Butt Mountain.
The first three series are co-developed and co-created with Singaporean production partners and each project will be led by a dedicated production outfit. CJ ENM HK will also bring onboard a team of producers from Korea as a creative consultant for each series.
Hungry Souls (Zhao Wei Films) is a five-episode Mandarin mini-series featuring the unlikely, forbidden love story between a young chef and a hungry ghost. It is set against the backdrop of the vibrant and culturally iconic Hungry Ghost Festival, and featuring throwbacks to triad activities in 1970s Singapore.
Venus On Mars (Mocha Chai Laboratories), is a six-part high concept sci-fi, romantic comedy series about an undergraduate student, Julia, who is accidentally transported into a parallel world where there are only men - the ‘M-Earth.’ In this new world in which she is the only female, Julia re-evaluates her own thoughts on feminism, equality between genders, life, and love.
Deep End (Akanga Film Asia) is a psychological thriller about online cyber-crime in Asia. In this series, the viewer enters a world where technology is both liberating and dangerous, a tool where information and images are manipulated, and a place where alarming ideologies are manifested.
All three series will finish casting and commence production in the second half of 2021. CJ ENM HK will distribute these series globally.
“2021 is a year for us here at CJ ENM HK to expand our local language productions for the global streaming audience. Apart from our existing production operation in Thailand, we also want to do more premium scripted content in Mandarin and Bahasa languages,” said Michael Jung, managing director, CJ ENM Hong Kong. “We are thankful for IMDA’s visionary approach and support which helped us kick start our relationships with 3 of the best local production houses in Singapore. We are on the lookout to create more high-quality content together with good partners and creators.”
“I am incredibly thrilled to collaborate with CJ ENM on its slate of premium streaming-first titles - Hungry Souls, Venus on Mars and Deep End - for a global audience,” added June Koh, cluster director, media industry, IMDA. “This is an exciting development and I look forward to working with more multinational media companies to showcase our original stories and create opportunities for our Singaporean talent to hone their artistic and showrunning capabilities.”
Mom, Don’t Do That! is an adaptation of the novel of that name into an 11-episodes series filmed in Taiwan in 4K quality. Based on the true story of the novel’s author Chen Ming-min’s mum who relentlessly surfs the web to find love, the story explores whether a widowed middle-aged woman has the right to pursue new love.
