t
Asian storytellers
Asia entered 2019 with record interest and energy
ing on co-productions in India, Indonesia and China;
around local IP development and production, greater
Gaumont, which ramped up boots on the ground at
confidence by local studios and storytellers in Asian
the end of 2018, has its eyes wide open for Asian co-
stories, a rush to short-form storytelling and experimen-
pros; the Philippines’ GMA is working on a drama co-
tation, remakes of premium scripted formats for Asian
pro in Thailand; out of Bangkok, JKN Global Media has
audiences at an all-time high across the region, and
new drama projects in development in India and the
more attention than ever in including local originals on
Philippines; Korea’s JTBC Content Hub, fresh from its Sky
global streaming slates. At the same time, consumer
Castle ratings victory, is venturing out in a new way,
appetites are broader, viewership is spread across
not least because of mega licensing deals with Netflix;
screens and services, user-interface issues are being
European indie Red Arrow Studios has budding rela-
sorted out, payment/tech solutions are emerging, the
tionships in Asia that will boost local output beyond The
viable balance between free/subscription is being
Last Cop and My Man Can; Turkey’s Kanal D has local
tested, and data is shining a dazzling new light on au-
production/co-production on its radar for 2019; and
dience segments and habits.
India’s Zee is looking for more to follow its involvement
And there’s no reason – short of an apocalypse (and
in blue-chip global doc The Life of Earth from Space,
even then, zombie stories are super-hot) – to think any
not to mention a greater share of the world’s streaming
of this will be derailed. If anything, the hunt for original
mindset through its global Zee5 platform. And those are but a few of the projects on our radar
ideas will continue, local storytellers will be pushed to
as we move into the Lunar Year of the Pig.
up their game, the development process will evolve
U.S. studios have their own mega-slates, their Asian
and gain new respect, co-production is likely to ramp
presence swelled by scripted and other format adap-
up, and insularity will continue to crumble. Almost every distributor we spoke to for this year’s
tation such as Sony Pictures Television’s K-drama Vag-
directory, ContentAsia’s The Big List 2019, talks about
abond and at least three other Asian co-productions
original production/co-production opportunities, possi-
this year; more modelling ramp than anyone else ever
bilities and ambitions in the region alongside burgeon-
for CBS Studios International, which has eight formats
ing syndication prospects from fiercely competitive
in production or on air in Asia right now, including
digital/streaming platforms.
four versions of Next Top Model; Fox Networks Group Content Distribution, which is co-producing blue-chip
A+E Networks’ Seoul office continues to boost original Korean production; Philippines’ broadcaster/
factual series, China’s Hidden Kingdoms, with Nat Geo
producer ABS-CBN says international partnerships are
and BiliBili; NBC Universal Distribution, fresh off Suits suc-
key in growing its business; all3media will have about
cesses in Korea and Japan; and Viacom International
a dozen adaptations of its formats on air in Asia in
Studios’ reboot of YO! MTV Raps for Southeast Asia.
2019, and talks about a focus on drama story lines with
Again, these are but a few...
international appeal; Canadian indie Blue Ant Inter-
Formats alone are rocking. From January to mid-No-
national is already co-producing in China and, like
vember 2018, at least 50 drama series were being made
everyone else, is itching to do more; kids’ indie Boat
in Asia based on acquired scripts, according to Conten-
Rocker Rights is co-producing 2D animation in China;
tAsia’s ongoing Formats Outlook research. 16 (32%) of
out of her Singapore regional HQ, Sonia Fleck’s Bo-
these were in China and 11 were in Korea, while India
manbridge Media is deficit financing projects such as
and Japan had seven each and Malaysia had four. We
extreme adventurer Ash Dykes’ trek along the length of
will, of course, keep tracking... our feeling is that it’s go-
China’s Yangtze River; Germany’s DW Transtel is work-
ing to be a super-busy year.
C
NTENT ASIA
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Programming: Syndication & Licensing
2019: