CJ ENM Hong Kong is expanding its local-language scripted series production with four Chinese-language series, three of which are supported by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA).
The first three series are co-developed and co-created with Singaporean production partners, while CJ ENM HK is bringing on board a team of Korean producers as creative consultants for each series.
The fourth series, Mom, Don’t Do That!, is co-produced by CJ ENM with Taiwanese partner, Butt Mountain.
The three Singapore-backed series include:
Hungry Souls – in partnership with Zhao Wei Films, founded by Eric Khoo (pictured), is a five-episode mini-series set during the Hungry Ghost Festival and revolving around a love story between a young chef and a hungry ghost.
Venus On Mars – in partnership with Mocha Chai Laboratories (MCL) is a six-part sci-fi, romantic comedy series about an undergraduate student who is accidentally transported into a parallel world where there are only men. Chai Yee Wei is showrunning with MCL managing partner Michelle Chang and Taiwan’s Phil Tang (general manager of Greener Grass Productions and Monomyth Films) both producing. Filming will take place in Taiwan with post-production in Singapore.
Deep End – in partnership with Akanga Film Asia is a five-part psychological thriller about online cyber-crime in Asia. Akanga’s Fran Borgia is producing with Yeo Siew Hua (A Land Imagined) and K. Rajagopal (A Yellow Bird) sharing writing credits with Kaylene Tan as head writer.
All three series will finish casting and commence production in the second half of 2021. CJ ENM HK will distribute globally. The collaboration between CJ ENM and IMDA was first announced a year ago under Singapore’s Capability Partnership Programme.
Meanwhile Mom, Don’t Do That!, starring Billie Wang, Alyssa Chia and Chris Wu, is an 11-episodes series filmed entirely in Taiwan. Based on a novel, it revolves around a middle-aged mum who relentlessly surfs the internet to find love. Executive producers on the series include Sarso Chou, Weiling Chen and CJ ENM Hong Kong managing director Michael Jung.
CJ ENM HK contributed to the creative direction of the project and will handle distribution within Asia (excluding Taiwan and China). The series is now in post-production and set to release in Q4 this year.
“Apart from our existing production operation in Thailand, we also want to do more premium scripted content in Mandarin and Bahasa languages,” said Jung. “We are thankful for IMDA’s visionary approach and support which helped us kickstart our relationships with three of the best local production houses in Singapore.”