Thursday, 4 December 2025

Mediacorp adds Korea, Chinese projects to cross-border slate; three script co-developments unveiled at Singapore Media Festival’s ATF this afternoon

Singapore’s national media platform, Mediacorp, is on a cross-border roll, unveiling three script co-developments – one Korean and two Chinese – this afternoon and bringing new projects announced during the Singapore Media Festival’s ATF this week to at least 12. That’s in addition to rolling showcases of 2026 titles at an imposing Singapore market stand. The new scripts in development are “Orange Boy from the North” with Korea’s “Mr. Romance” (creator of “Moving”), crime-fantasy thriller “The Penrose Trap” (回环) by screenwriter and producer Gary Tang 邓特希 (“The File of Justice” 壹號皇庭), and “Voyage Unknown”, which brings together Mediacorp and Lau Kok Rui 刘国瑞, the award-winning writer-director.

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Loomi taps COL Group content network, greenlights original microdrama slate; Southeast Asia’s first dedicated vertical drama platform launches as region’s engagement soars to 23% of global downloads

Loomi Entertainment Group (LEG) has tied up with COL Group International to acquire and curate content for the coming-soon Loomi vertical drama streaming app. Billed as the first Southeast Asia-wide vertical-only microdrama platform, Loomi has already commissioned eight Southeast Asia originals, slated to release next year. The app launches towards the end of this month.

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50 microdrama titles on the cards for 2026 from new tech/creative/distribution partnership unveiled today

Tech, creative and distribution outfits – BeLive, Korean short-drama producer NewUnivers and ChopChop Systems – have outlined plans for a slate of 50 microdrama titles over the next 12 months, signalling a push to industrialise and accelerate short-form production. The partners say the collaboration is designed to enable microdramas to reach market at “unprecedented speeds”. The projects sit within a developing partnership framework still to be formalised. The MoU was signed this morning as Day Two of the Singapore Media Festival’s ATF market got under way.

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Astro & Boom board 26-part Southeast Asian teen/YA animation series “Kisah Bawah Tanah”

Malaysian animated comedy series, “Kisah Bawah Tanah”, has secured a multi-territory launch in Southeast Asia, with Malaysian giant Astro taking rights for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei and Thai youth channel Boom boarding as broadcaster in Thailand. Produced by Malaysia’s Animasia Studio and Spaceboy Studios, the 26-episode series debuts across Astro platforms in 2026, with Boom planning a Thai premiere in late 2026.

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Malaysia-Korea collab unveiled in Singapore; Produksi Seni Duapuluh Duapuluh, Wildtale shake hands on live action film co-production

Malaysia brought its cross-border creative spirit to Singapore this week, following last week’s lively JAFF Market in Yogyakarta, with an MoU between production house Produksi Seni Duapuluh Duapuluh (“Kisah Benar”) and Korea’s Wildtale. The joint live-action film project – “Meo City” (working title) – is targeted to begin filming in the fourth quarter of 2026. Government agency FINAS also stepped up to support the collaboration.

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19 Dec release for Malaysian adaptation of Fremantle’s “Bad Cop”

The Malaysian adaptation of Fremantle’s crime drama “Bad Cop” premieres across Astro platforms on 19 December. The local series releases as an Astro Original on linear channels Astro Citra and Astro Ria, with early access on Astro On Demand, Astro Go and Sooka. “Bad Cop Malaysia’ is produced by Astro Shaw, led by creator and showrunner Kavivarmen Vigneswaran, executive producer Raja Jastina Raja Arshad and director Jason Chong. The series features Aiman Hakim Ridza as Emir Khalid / Inspector Imar Khalid, Siti Saleha as Chief Inspector Hana Fuad, Harvinth Skin as Detective Abhilan Selvam and Tony Eusoff as Tony Redza. The Indian adaptation of “Bad Cop” aired in 2024. Fremantle is handling global sales.

FEATURES

Focus: Thailand

The value of Thailand’s content production sector will continue to drop, sliding to US$584 million in 2030 from US$916 million in 2019, Media Partners Asia (MPA) says. But there are other things to be optimistic about...

SG Story: Singapore indies wrap SG60 short-film initiative

The micro-drama wave is reshaping screens worldwide. Short-form storytelling has accelerated into a global movement defined by compact narratives, emotional immediacy and formats built for mobile consumption. Singapore’s Association of Independent Producers (AIPRO), supported by IMDA, is tapping the trend through Our Singapore, Our Stories: SG STORY, a campaign that empowers independent producers to create micro-dramas designed for today’s scrolling audiences.

Brought to you by AIPRO

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