Kakao Entertainment has announced a recent partnership with Japan’s prominent content studio, BABEL LABEL, to jointly develop and produce dramas and films and adapt story IPs like webtoons and web novels into screen content. This collaboration will see the joint production of works directed by Michihito Fujii, known for winning six awards at the Japan Academy Awards with the film “The Journalist,” starring Shim Eun-kyung, and for creating a Netflix series showcased in 190 countries globally.
Notably, Fujii’s film “The Last 10 Years” amassed box office sales of 3 billion yen (~286 billion KRW) in Japan and attracted approximately 560,000 viewers domestically. His 2022 Japan-Taiwan co-produced film attracted 2.8 million viewers across Asia, generating a box office of 2.6 billion yen (~276 billion KRW).
Fujii’s interest in Korean content is evidenced by his involvement in the Japanese remakes of Korean works like “A Hard Day” and “Nevertheless,” although this is his first collaboration with a Korean company. He expressed confidence in challenging new heights with Kakao Entertainment and aims to contribute to the growth of the media industry in both countries.
Kakao Entertainment plans to combine both parties’ strengths to create a global mega-hit IP, solidifying its status as a global studio. The partnership aims to upgrade both companies’ content production capabilities and target the global market with various projects, thereby expanding the domain of K-content in the world market.