Imaginarium Productions, the UK outfit led by Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish, has partnered with South Korea’s Artist Studio to develop a K-pop spy thriller.
It will mark a move into international production for Seoul-based Artist Studio, the production banner led by Lee Jung-jae, known for his roles in Netflix series Squid Game and Disney + Star Wars spin-off The Acolyte.
The thriller, which has the working title Secret Idol, blends the glamourous world of K-pop with high-stakes espionage. The plot centres on a secret agent who goes undercover as a K-pop trainee to take down an international crime ring, according to The Korea Herald.
The collaboration between the two companies will range from script development to production and an international cast is being assembled for the project, which is in the process of landing co-production deals and putting global distribution in place.
No director has yet been announced. Lee, who came to global attention with his Emmy-winning performance in Squid Game, made his directorial debut in 2022 with the spy action film Hunt. He founded Artist Company in 2016 with fellow actor Jung Woo-sung of box office hit 12.12: The Day. Last year, the firm distributed Following and One Win.
Serkis, known for pioneering motion capture performance in The Lord Of The Rings and Planet Of The Apes, launched Imaginarium Productions in 2011 with Cavendish, producer of Bridget Jones’s Diary. Its upcoming productions include Lord Of The Rings prequel The Hunt for Gollum. It was revealed earlier this month that Cavendish will co-produce zombie-action horror Zero Protocol, starring Rebecca Hall.