The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific today previewed its upcoming slate of Korean and Japanese Originals for Disney+, highlighting the platform’s creative momentum and deepening collaboration with the region’s top creators and talent. Held at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort for the very first time, the Disney+ Originals Preview was a star-studded affair, featuring talent from the U.S., Korea and Japan. The event included exclusive previews and major announcements for award-winning titles, along with bold new Originals coming soon to Disney+.
Creative Inspiration from Japan
A key highlight of today’s presentation was Disney’s announcement of a first-of-its-kind collaboration with legendary game creator Hideo Kojima on a Japanese anime series based on the wildly popular post-apocalyptic action-adventure game series titled Death Stranding Isolations (working title). Set in the same world as the video game but telling a completely new story, the upcoming anime series will be directed by Takayuki Sano and produced by E&H Production.
Additional Japanese titles previewed included a first look at the second half of Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation Episode of Heartslabyul, a new romantic comedy starring Disney+ regular Ji Changwook and Mio Imada called Merry Berry Love (working title), and hit anime titles Tokyo Revengers: War of the Three Titans Arc, Wandance, Cat’s Eye Part 2 and Medalist Season 2. A new unscripted docuseries called Travis Japan Summer Vacation!! in the USA was confirmed to debut ahead of summer 2026, and a new comedy reality show from Chidori’s Daigo called Daigo Project (working title) was also announced.
Korea’s Creative Momentum
Details of the upcoming line-up of Korean Originals were also unveiled during the presentation, including news that the gripping crime drama Made in Korea, headlined by Hyun Bin and Jung Woosung, will debut on Disney+ on December 24, with a second series also confirmed to be in production and set to debut in 2026.
Other Korean Originals showcased included The Manipulated, a now-streaming action drama starring Ji Changwook and Doh Kyungsoo; Battle of Fates, a high-stakes reality competition pitting fortune tellers and oracles against each other; Gold Land, a gripping blend of crime and action starring Park Boyoung, Kim Sungcheol; and Season 2 of A Shop for Killers - a thrilling action experience once again starring Lee Dongwook and Kim Hyejun, with Masaki Okada and Hyunri also joining the lineup.
Perfect Crown, a new Korean romantic comedy starring singer-songwriter and actress IU alongside rising star Byeon Wooseok, was confirmed to be coming to Disney+ in 2026, and Are You Sure?! Season 2 starring Jimin and Jungkook, two of the stars of international K-pop group BTS, was also previewed before being set to debut on Disney+ on December 3.
“Today’s preview reflects our deepening partnerships with the region’s next generation of creative talent --- as we uncover new worlds and new stories for Disney+ audiences,” said Luke Kang, President, The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific in his opening remarks. “Our content team has collaborated with some of the region’s most talented and exciting storytellers, who have drawn creative inspiration from different places - including webtoons, manga, novels, video games and music— all with the goal of delivering unforgettable entertainment in a way that only Disney can.”
As The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific continues to draw creative inspiration from the region, the preview also spotlighted creative teams unpacking the journey behind adapting Korean fantasy romance webtoons into live-action series – including The Remarried Empress, starring Shin Mina, Ju Jihoon, Lee Jongsuk and Lee Seyoung and Portraits of Delusion (working title), featuring Suzy Bae and Kim Seonho.
“Originality drives us to continually push the boundaries of storytelling -- collaborating with the next generation of creative talent, drawing inspiration from multiple creative sources, and discovering new narratives that transport audiences to extraordinary worlds,” said Carol Choi, Executive Vice President of Original Content Strategy, The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific. “From premium dramas to unscripted comedy to anime, we are proud to bring great stories that live on Disney+ -- timeless stories that will delight, surprise and resonate with audiences across generations and geographies.”
In 2021, the company embarked on original content production for Disney+ in the Asia Pacific region and has since launched over 155 APAC Originals on Disney+ to date, several of which have attained critical and commercial success.
Global Content Trends
A few global audience and content trends were also shared at today’s presentation, highlighting the deep and growing global resonance of stories from Japan and Korea. Top anime titles on Disney+/Hulu have consistently seen 60% of global viewing hours come from outside APAC, with strong interest from audiences in U.S. and Europe. Over the past year, anime audience growth has risen in France, Brazil and Mexico, and Japanese live action is emerging as an extremely exciting category. Korean storytelling, with deep fandoms already in APAC and the U.S., is seeing significant audience interest in Latin America, with the strongest engagement in Brazil and Mexico.
APAC Titles Unveiled at the Disney+ Originals Preview:
JAPAN
- Death Stranding Isolations (working title) – Somewhere in North America, as Sam Bridges is walking across the continent in order to save America, the someones are trying to deal with their isolation in their own way. An old man is trying to realize salvation through ways outside of the connection advocated by Bridges. A female warrior is trying to kickstart a world of constant fighting. A boy holds a grudge against Bridges, and a girl has embraced her loneliness. On the precipice of the end of humanity and the world, their fates and hopes converge, as another story of Death Stranding begins. And now, comes another explosion...
- Merry Berry Love (working title) – A Japan-Korea project by CJ ENM, the studio behind globally memorable content like the dramas, Crash Landing on You, The Queen of Tears, and Marry My Husband, as well as the Academy Award-winning films Parasite and Past Lives. A romantic comedy about a botched Korean designer, Yubin, and a Japanese farmer, Karin who begin an unlikely co-farming journey on a mysterious island in Japan.
- Cat’s Eye Part 2 – Three sisters - Hitomi, Rui, and Ai - run a café during the day and work as a team of thieves at night called "Cat's Eye" to recover their father's art collection, which was stolen by an underground art broker syndicate. Balancing the two jobs becomes increasingly difficult because Hitomi is dating Toshio Utsumi, a detective in charge of investigating the Cat's Eye cases who does not know his girlfriend is one of the thieves he is pursuing.
- Daigo Project (working title) – The first ever Disney+ Original Japanese variety show, this upcoming series is planned and produced by Daigo of the renowned Japanese comedian duo - Chidori. This upcoming project marks Daigo's first time producing global content, sharing an all-new concept from Japan to the world.
- Tokyo Revengers: War of the Three Titans Arc – The fierce feud between the Tokyo Manji Gang and Tenjiku ended in a tragic conclusion. As each member carries their grief into the future, Takemichi Hanagaki finds himself in awe of the late Tetta Kisaki. After learning the full truth behind the time leaps, Manjiro Sano (Mikey) makes a fateful decision. Having left the past behind, Takemichi finally reaches the best possible future — one where his girlfriend, Hinata Tachibana, is alive. However, he is nowhere to be found. In a world now entering the “Three Titans Era,” where three powerful teams vie for supremacy, the final revenge begins.
- Medalist Season 2 – Failed figure skater Tsukasa Akeuraji meets Inori Yuitsuka, a young girl whose parents are pushing her to give up on her dreams. Impressed by her determination to skate, Tsukasa takes Inori under his wing, and the two begin working together towards their dream of becoming medalists.
- Travis Japan Summer Vacation!! in the USA – The seven-member global group Travis Japan embarks on a 10-day summer vacation in America. Led by Noel Kawashima, a certified travel planner and member of the group, the trip takes them from Arches National Park to Durango, Monument Valley, Sedona, and more as they immerse themselves in the vast landscapes and rich culture of America. What discoveries await them on this unforgettable adventure?
- The Manipulated – Imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, mild-mannered Taejoong is thrust into a world of chaos, orchestrated by Yohan, a man with a sinister agenda. Refusing to die a pawn in his twisted games, Taejoong fights for his freedom in a high-stakes game of vengeance.
- Gold Land – After landing a dream job at an international airport, Heeju finally escapes the sleepy backwater town she grew up in, heading out to make a name for herself. After getting off to a good start, things suddenly turn south and Heeju finds herself on the run from some of Korea's most dangerous men with a van full of smuggled gold. Hurtling down the highway, Heeju finds herself heading back to the one place she swore she'd never return.
- A Shop for Killers Season 2 – After an epic first season that saw Jian defend her childhood home from murder drones and deadly assassins, A Shop For Killers returns with an all new season that will follow Jian and her uncle Jinman as they turn the tables - going on the offensive against the mercenary group Babylon.
- Made in Korea – In turbulent 1970s Korea, Kitae lives a dangerous double life. Seduced by money and the power it affords, Kitae works to expand his operations until an incorruptable prosecutor begins to investigate him, threatening everything he's worked for.
- Perfect Crown – Set in a reimagined 21st century where Korea operates under a constitutional monarchy, Perfect Crown is a romantic dramedy about a prince involved in a power struggle and the heiress to one of Korea's biggest conglomerates. Both driven by personal gain, the pair begin to scheme together only to later realize the meaning of true love.
- Portraits of Delusion (working title) – Based on the hugely popular Naver Webtoon – Delusion – Portraits of Delusion is a romantic mystery series about a heartbroken vampire in mourning. Hidden away from the world for the past 50 years, Madam Song regularly commissions portraits of herself. One day Iho, a painter with a past, arrives at the hotel to begin his commission, but what he sees shocks him.
- The Remarried Empress – A live-action adaptation of the hit webtoon, The Remarried Empress tells the story of Navier, a perfect empress whose husband shocks her one day when he returns home with a mistress and demands a divorce. Unwilling to let the Emperor ruin her life, Navier grants his request but, in return asks to marry the rival prince of the Western Kingdom - igniting a tale of political intrigue, romance, and a fight to reclaim her stolen power.
- Battle Of Fates – From the creators of Culinary Class Wars comes a new unscripted series that pits fortune tellers, shamans and other oracles against each other as they try to prove that they're the real deal. With participants from a shaman group, fate interpreters, physiognomists and tarot card readers set to join, participants will compete in a range of challenges designed to prove (or disprove) their abilities. Those who fail the task will be eliminated, while those who pass will continue to the next round.
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