"Going forward, Disney's long-term goal is to expand Asia-Pacific original content into global franchises by leveraging Disney's intellectual property (IP) ecosystem, talent, and platforms."
Luke Kang, president of the Asia-Pacific region at The Walt Disney Company, emphasized this at the Disney+ Original Preview 2025 held on the 13th (local time) at Hong Kong Disneyland, saying, "Based on our long history and pride in the Asia-Pacific region, we will create new stories every day through a shared belief in creativity, collaboration, and the power of storytelling."
Disney+ is a streaming service where you can watch Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and Hulu. About 400 members of the press from the Asia-Pacific, including Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and Australia, attended the event.
Disney unveiled a large slate of new Japanese and Korean titles set to be released on Disney+ that day, underscoring its status as an "Asia content production hub."
In the Japan session, content based on original intellectual property (IP) such as manga and games was introduced. Cat's Eye (use KATSEYE per glossary) season 2, which started as a serialized manga and expanded into animation and live-action drama, will be released on Dec. 6. News also came of the production of season 3 of the popular Tokyo Revengers (DOKYO REVENGERS), as well as Travis Japan Summer Vacation in the USA, the U.S. travelogue of the Japanese boy group Travis Japan.
News was also announced of the production of Disney+'s first Japan-Korea co-produced romantic comedy, Merry Berry Love. Merry Berry Love follows a designer who failed in Korea and falls in love after meeting a strawberry farmer on a remote Japanese island. Actor Ji Chang-wook plays the Korean designer, and actor Mio Imada plays the strawberry farmer. It will be released in 2026.
Korean titles put popular actors and directors, considered "box-office guarantees," front and center. The Manipulated, released on the 5th, stars Ji Chang-wook and Doh Kyung Soo. Made in Korea, a spy drama set in the 1970s, features Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung as a Korean Central Intelligence Agency agent and a prosecutor, respectively, and is directed by Woo Min-ho, who helmed Inside Men, The Drug King, and Harbin.
GOLDLAND, fronted by actors Park Bo-young, Kim Sung-cheol, Lee Hyun-wook, and director Kim Sung-hoon, was also unveiled. GOLDLAND depicts Hee-ju (Park Bo-young), who accidentally comes into possession of a smuggling ring's gold bullion, becoming consumed by the desire to monopolize the gold bullion amid a chaos entangled with the greed and betrayal of various figures around it. Director Kim said, "Korean content has been loved globally because seniors and young actors alike have worked intensely for a long time," adding, "We will continue to work hard going forward."
Killers' Shopping Mall season 2, created by actors Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun with director Lee Kwon, also confirmed its release. It comes nearly two years after season 1 ended, which was selected as a New York Times Best TV Show 2024 for best international TV show and gained popularity. The story follows Jung Ji-an (Kim Hye-jun), who protected the dangerous legacy left by her uncle Jung Jin-man (Lee Dong-wook), becoming the target once again of suspicious killers. Director Lee said, "There were stories we couldn't tell in season 1, and I'm excited that we now have the opportunity to explain them."
In addition, 21st Century Grand Princess, starring IU and Byeon Wooseok, The Remarried Empress, starring Shin Mina, Ju Jihoon, Lee Jong-seok, and Lee Se-young, and Enchantment, starring Suzy and Kim Seon-ho, are scheduled for release in 2026.
Meanwhile, The Walt Disney Company Asia-Pacific content showcase, first held in 2021, marked its fifth edition this year. Disney has built a lineup of more than 155 titles through this year, expanding Asia content worldwide. Works such as Moving, Nine Puzzle, and Casino have also won at major award ceremonies.