Producing Southeast Asian Films Targeting the Global Market [The Future of K-Content⑤]

CJ ENM leads Southeast Asian remake boom
Expanding to culturally similar countries, maximizing profits
Aiming for North American entry through co-growth with local producers

CJ ENM's film Miss Granny (2014) was remade and achieved great success in countries such as Vietnam (2015), Indonesia (2017), and Thailand (2016). This sparked a Korean film remake boom in Southeast Asia. CJ HK Entertainment (CJ ENM's Vietnam branch) led this new wave. They adapted well-established domestic works like Sunny (2011), My Annoying Brother (2016), Mr. Bong, the Teacher (2003), Whispering Corridors (1998), The Classic (2003), and Bungee Jumping of Their Own (2001) to local sensibilities, maximizing profits. Kim Hyun-woo, CEO of CJ HK, explained, "We focused our business on countries with cultural similarities to Korea. We saw signs that Southeast Asian films were transitioning to well-made productions and judged the market potential to be sufficient."

The film "My," produced by CJ HK Entertainment, attracted approximately 6.43 million viewers despite being rated for audiences aged 18 and over, becoming the highest-grossing film in Vietnam's history.
[Photo by CJ ENM]

CJ HK's business has had a significant impact not only on the local box office but also on the film industry itself. They redefined the entire process from planning, development, investment, marketing, to promotion, invigorating the related investment market. Huynh Le, a director and lead actor in CJ HK-produced Ancestral Home (2025) from Vietnam, praised, "(CJ HK) demonstrates exceptional professionalism at every stage of production. They resolve various issues quickly and effectively." Hoang Quan, a Vietnamese producer preparing the film Hoang Tu Quy: Demon Prince with CJ HK, said, "They have led our film industry onto the path of prosperity," adding, "They are one of the key driving forces behind modernization, specialization, and commercialization."

The scale of Vietnam's film industry nearly doubled from 23 trillion dong (approximately 132 billion KRW) in 2015 to 42 trillion dong (approximately 241 billion KRW) last year. CEO Kim elaborated, "The lineup of top 10 box office films has changed. In the past, Hollywood films dominated overwhelmingly, but now more than seven local films regularly make the list." Revenue per film has also increased significantly. Miss Granny, which held the record for Vietnam's highest box office, earned about 4 million USD (approximately 5.9 billion KRW). CJ HK's My, which topped the charts last year, earned more than five times that amount, approximately 21.4 million USD (about 31.4 billion KRW). Kim explained, "It was released during the Lunar New Year holiday, and family audiences flocked to the point that midnight screenings sold out. This marked an expansion of the audience demographic from ages 10-30 to 40-60."

The film 'Mai' critiques various issues in Vietnamese society and highlights an independent female figure, receiving strong support from female audiences.
[Photo by CJ ENM]

Domestic film industry insiders tend to view Southeast Asian local films merely as a means to maintain profitability, citing limited revenue and demand. However, CJ ENM's original goal was not just to establish a foothold in local markets. They aimed for global market entry through co-growth with production companies. They were confident that content rooted in the cultural backgrounds of Asian countries would no longer appear alien or exotic in the global market.

In fact, influenced by works like Parasite (2019), Squid Game (2021), and Shogun (2024), Asian culture is now recognized as a core element that powerfully conveys stories. It is increasingly accepted in major markets such as North America. Mia Santosa, an Indonesian producer working with CJ HK on Call Me Dad (Dambo), said, "CJ ENM values the storytelling originality of local creators. They encourage producers to maintain their cultural roots while adopting a broader perspective." She emphasized, "In today's world where storytelling is not confined by geographic boundaries, this global-local synergy is extremely important."

Kim Hyun-woo, CEO of CJ HK, who visited the Sundance Film Festival in the United States with the Indonesian film 'Impetigore' (third from the left).

CJ ENM's plans are becoming visible in this new trend. They are remaking Pengabdi Setan (2017), directed and produced by Joko Anwar (Indonesia), in the United States. Anwar has been reappointed as director, and the production team consists of Hollywood staff. CEO Kim said, "This is the result of reducing the proportion of remake films and focusing on discovering good local stories and creators." He added, "If films based on local cultures can foster cultural exchange among Southeast Asian countries, the market size will naturally expand from local to regional, and eventually to global."