CJ ENM is putting an emphasis on TV content over feature film fare at the upcoming FilMart rights market in Hong Kong.
The South Korean behemoth, which operates multiple studios and the TVing streaming platform, is touting at least six shows and formats.
Sebastian Kim, the group’s director of international content sales and acquisition, will also be taking part in a Monday morning FilMart seminar called “Spotlight Conversation: The Asian Wave in 2023 and Beyond.”
His lineup is headed by “The Heavenly Idol,” a fantasy romance series that sees a priest from a different era transported to the present day as a pop idol. His training makes him a hopeless celebrity, but he has to learn to adapt. Starring Kim Min-gue and Go Bo-gyeol, the 12-part series began airing mind-February on tvN.
Launching at the end of the month on TVing is sci-fi-thriller-drama “Duty After School.” Produced by Studio Dragon, the story involves a class of high-school students forced to join the army in order to fight an alien invasion. The 10-part show is an adaptation of a well-known webtoon of the same title. As well as the market premiere in Hong Kong, the show is set to play as a special screening at Series Mania later this month.
Delivering a healthy dose of palace intrigue in a traditional, 20-episode package, “Our Blooming Youth” is a period romance drama that involves a misunderstood woman genius who revolts against her arranged marriage and is suspected of murdering her family. Meanwhile, a prince finds that a series of deadly curses are slowly coming true. Directed by So Jae-hyun and Lee Jong-jae from a script by Jung Hyeon-jung, the series began airing on tvN a the beginning of February.
“Boys Planet” is an Mnet music show that also began airing at the beginning of February. The 12-part series presents boy bands from around the world.
Two recent formats for sale and adaptation are among the lineup. “ZeroSum Game” is a game show in which contestants attempt not to lose or gain weight, but to maintain exactly the same weight for seven days at risk of heavy financial penalties for every 100g of over- or under-shoot. The format first launched at MIPCOM last year.
Also launched last year was “My Boyfriend Is Better,” a musical game show in which five women who want to show off their boyfriend’s singing skills make a bet to see who is the best singer. All couples are given money to bet on the each boyfriend’s performance. At each stage, judges vote on a dropout, and girlfriends have to bet on her own boyfriend or another’s boyfriend to keep the money and win the prize.
