The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific revealed a robust slate of more than 50 local and global titles at an event in Singapore on Wednesday. While there were few wholly new titles revealed at the event, the overall package of Asian and international content is increasingly impressive and underpins the recent growth of the Disney+ streaming service in the region.
The Disney Content Showcase 2022, held at the Marina Bay Sands convention center, was unveiled to more than 400 press and partners with the company’s top local management, including Luke Kang, president, The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific, Jessica Kam-Engle, head of content and development,and Carol Choi, executive VP of original content strategy, in attendance.
Japanese director Miike Takashi was present along with the cast of Korean-made series “Connect” alongside a host of Korean talent. Similarly, talent contingents from Japan and Indonesia were present along with their shows and an expanded deal with Japan’s Kodansha was revealed.
Global titles which were first presented at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, were showcased at the event. They included “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” “The Marvels,” “Secret Invasion,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” “Loki” Season 2, “Wish,” “Iwaju,” “Win or Lose,” “Elio,” “Inside Out 2,” “Haunted Mansion,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Snow White,” “Mufasa: The Lion King,” “Peter Pan & Wendy,” “The Mandalorian,” Season 3, “Ahsoka,” “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” Season 2, “Star Wars Visions” Volume 2, “The Acolyte” and “Indiana Jones 5.”
Several senior executives and creatives spoke to the gathering via video link from the U.S., including Sean Bailey, president, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, Louis D’Esposito, co-president, Marvel Studios, Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Fawn Veerasunthorn, co-director, “Wish.”
Peter Sohn presented a making-of segment on his upcoming Pixar animated film “Elemental.”
The biggest audience cheers were reserved for James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water,” from which, some 15 minutes of footage was shown. The mega-budget title recently secured permission for a theatrical release in China.
Japanese titles highlighted include “Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown Arc,” “Gannibal,” “Dragons of Wonderhatch” and “House of the Owl.” From Australia-New Zealand, highlights included “The Artful Dodger,” “The Clearing” and “Last Days of the Space Age.”
“Our aspiration is for stories from the Asia Pacific region to be a key pillar for the next 100 years,” Choi said. “Our curated content from APAC is a key part of the unparalleled storytelling and creative excellence The Walt Disney Company is known for, and we look forward to further showcasing storytelling excellence from the region on the world stage.”
