[News Article] Will Disney+ have another 'Moving' this year?
Will Disney+ have
another 'Moving' this year?
By Lee Gyu-lee, The
Korea Times - When Disney+ landed in Korea in November 2021, many expected it
to instantly become a key player in the heated streaming market already
dominated by Netflix. But much to their disappointment, the streaming service
had a rocky start, failing to win the local streaming consumers’ hearts with
issues such as poor quality of subtitles, lack of customer service
communication and user-unfriendly interface. However, the global
streaming service managed to come around last year with veteran actor Choi
Min-sik’s crime original series “Big Bet,” followed by a massive, unexpected
hit with “Moving,” which offered the company a positive outlook on continuing
its business in the country. “Moving,” a
supernatural action series highlighting families with superpowered parents and
children in divided Korea, became the most-watched Korean original on Disney+
globally following its release last August. Riding the tide of
its success, the streaming platform shared its goals to keep the momentum going
through Korean content. “It was only in 2021
that Disney ventured into local content production in APAC and so we're still
at a very early stage of our creative journey. That said, we're extremely
encouraged by the tremendous critical and commercial success of our Korean
originals last year … Among the top 15 best-performing international original
titles, nine of the top 15 came from Korea,” Carol Choi, executive vice
president for Original Content Strategy at The Walt Disney Company APAC, said
during Disney+ Korea's media event at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square in central
Seoul, Tuesday. “So this is a
significant and impressive outcome and important data points. It reinforces the
global resonance of Korean storytelling and how stories produced in Korea are
world-class and captivating audiences worldwide.” Kim So-yeon, the CEO
of Disney+ Korea, emphasized that the company’s main goal this year is to
strengthen profitability of its streaming business, adding it will focus on the
quality of its content in order to do so. “(In Korea,) we aim
to take a leap forward as a sustainably growing industry. And for Disney+ to
establish itself as a content service that more people engage with in their
daily lives, we believe the most crucial factor is excellent content,” Kim
said. “We prioritize
quality over overall volume, focusing on providing high-quality content …
Through careful selection and decision-making, we are looking to continue our
growth momentum this year with the foundation on high-quality content.” The streaming
service is set for a string of local titles, which includes “Uncle Samsik,” the
small-screen debut of "Parasite" actor Song Kang-ho. The "Star
Wars" spin-off "The Acolyte," garnering buzz in Korea for
starring actor Lee Jung-jae, is also scheduled to premiere this year. At the
event, an exclusive trailer of the series was unveiled, featuring Lee in the
role of a Jedi master, delivering lines in English and wielding an iconic
lightsaber. Kim So-yeon, the CEO
of Disney+ Korea, emphasized that the company’s main goal this year is to
strengthen profitability of its streaming business, adding it will focus on the
quality of its content in order to do so. “(In Korea,) we aim
to take a leap forward as a sustainably growing industry. And for Disney+ to
establish itself as a content service that more people engage with in their
daily lives, we believe the most crucial factor is excellent content,” Kim
said. “We prioritize
quality over overall volume, focusing on providing high-quality content …
Through careful selection and decision-making, we are looking to continue our
growth momentum this year with the foundation on high-quality content.” The streaming
service is set for a string of local titles, which includes “Uncle Samsik,” the
small-screen debut of "Parasite" actor Song Kang-ho. The "Star
Wars" spin-off "The Acolyte," garnering buzz in Korea for
starring actor Lee Jung-jae, is also scheduled to premiere this year. At the
event, an exclusive trailer of the series was unveiled, featuring Lee in the
role of a Jedi master, delivering lines in English and wielding an iconic
lightsaber. Source: https://koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2024/03/688_370556.html?utm_source=nans
2024.03.15
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