A diverse array of shows unveiled by Kakao Entertainment in August is gaining massive popularity among audiences worldwide. “Mission: Cross” ranked NO.1 in the global film, and “The Influencer” also ranked 4th in global TV show in Netflix. This success has raised expectations among global viewers for Kakao Entertainment’s contents scheduled to release in the second half of this year.
Produced jointly by Sanai Pictures, Obra Creative, and Plus M Entertainment, “Mission: Cross” ranked No. 1 in the global film(non-English) category in Netflix just after its debut. The movie follows the adventures of Kang-mu, played by Hwang Jung-min, a former agent living as a homemaker who gets entangled in a perilous mission alongside his wife. His spouse, Mi-seon, portrayed by Yum Jung-ah, is a detective in Seoul’s violent crimes division. It features a fun chemistry between the couple and also includes action scenes where they work together to tackle problems they face, providing the audience with an exciting and cathartic experience. Many viewers say that the eye-catching performances of the actors, thrilling action sequences, and comical moments make the film a must-see that can be enjoyed by all age groups this summer.
“The Influencer”, a social survival show, features 77 top-tier K-influencers who compete in to prove their worth. Since its debut, the show has ranked 4th in the global non-English TV show in Netflix. Top-tier influencers, such as Jang Keun-suk(an actor and rookie YouTuber), RISABAE(a K-beauty YouTuber) and Pani Bottle(a popular travel YouTuber), showcase their appeal, survival tactics, and content-creating skills that live up to their names. In each episode, the contestants work to prove their influence by developing and unveiling a variety of attention-grabbing content that exudes their unique character and personality. The show not only highlights the uniqueness of influencers who have long survived in an extremely competitive environment but also demonstrates their strategic judgments aimed at making their content more competitive as well as their creative capabilities.
Expectations are also rising for new, well-made shows to be unveiled by Kakao Entertainment in the second half of the year. In October, “Comedy Royale”, a Netflix variety show that drew significant attention by pitting top Korean comedians against one another in competitions last year, returns under the title “Comedy Revenge”. The original show brought together 20 of Korea’s hottest comedians of different age groups, experiences, and backgrounds, who fiercely competed to host a Netflix show. “Comedy Revenge” features 22 comedians, with the central role played by Lee Kyung-kyu, a veteran comedian with 43 years of experience who led the winning team of “Comedy Royale”. The new series is expected to deliver fresher, more hilarious moments for the audience than its predecessor.
In November, “Zombieverse” will return, a series that took the world of variety shows by storm last year. The new series, “Zombieverse: New Blood” catapults the participants into Korea, where a zombie virus outbreak has run amok and they have to outwit the undead while facing challenging quests to survive. A sequel to “Zombieverse”, which ranked 5th in Netflix’s global non-English TOP 10 TV show last year. In addition to returning cast members from Season 1, such as Ro Hong-chul, Dex, Patricia Yiombi, and Tsuki, new participants will join the show, including Taeyeon from Girls’ Generation, Yook Sung-jae from BTOB, and Kwon Eun-bi. Living up to audience expectations, the much-anticipated successor series “Zombieverse: New Blood” will present a greater scale and worldview than Season 1, which unfolded across Seoul. It will feature more distinctive characters and deliver more hilarious moments of raw laughter.
In the second half of the year, Kakao Entertainment will also release the Disney+ original “Gangnam B-Side”, which has been produced by Sanai Pictures, Plus M Entertainment, and Story Rooftop and stars Jo Woo-jin, Ji Chang-wook, and Ha Yoon-kyung. In addition, Season 2 of “Gyeongseong Creature”, a Netflix series that made the TOP 10 list in 69 countries last year and was produced by Story & Pictures Media and Kakao Entertainment in collaboration with Studio Dragon, is scheduled to debut in the second half as well.