Hollywood’s appetite for Asian stories has grown, but for Lionsgate’s Helen Lee-Kim, “every movie is still a challenge.”
Lee-Kim, the studio’s international president, made the remarks at the “UTA × Gold House: Hollywood & The Asian Diaspora” panel he moderated at the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Content and Film Market. DiversityAsia Editor Naman Ramachandran.
The discussion brought together representatives from Lionsgate, UTA, Gold House Studios, Hybe America Studios and East West Bank to examine how Asian stories can reach wider audiences without compromising their cultural identity.
Lee-Kim said that despite the disruption Covid-19 has brought to the industry, pandemic viewing has brought audiences together with films in different languages and helped make language less of a barrier. He said Asian content can also attract audiences beyond Asia with an engaging concept at the heart of commercial appeal.
He cited the action thriller “Karoshi,” starring Teo Yoo and directed by Takashi Doscher, as an example of bringing Asian talent into Hollywood filmmaking. Such projects still require individual creative initiatives from studios and distributors, he said.
UTA’s David Park cited “Parasite” and “Squid Game” as breakthroughs that showed possibilities once hard to imagine. He said their success has broadened avenues for Asian filmmakers beyond moving to Hollywood and studying English.
While discussing Na Hong-Jin’s Korean project “Hope,” Park emphasized the project’s ambition, original concept, and global genre appeal, which stars Asian actors alongside international stars.
Park also noted “Past Lives” and “Tokyo Vice” as examples of multicultural storytelling based on specific experiences. He expressed a desire for more such collaborations to develop organically, warning against letting calculations about global audiences dictate the work.
Christine Yi, president of Gold House Studios, said the company looks at genres without a predetermined category. What matters, he said, is originality and a human, subjective perspective. Its interest in new sounds did not require creators to compromise or deliberately internationalize their material.
Hybe America Studios president James Shin emphasized collaboration with artists and Korean creative teams in building the company’s film and television business. While discussing “K-Pop: The Debut,” he emphasized the importance of working cross-culturally through creative partnerships.
Bennett Pozil, vice president of East West Bank, which financed “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” pointed out the increasing investment activities in Southeast Asia. He cited co-production investments in Singapore and Thailand, as well as the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) as an example of funding being directed directly to the industry.
His views on cross-border storytelling were shared during the panel, as multilingual and multicultural filmmaking opens up more avenues for audiences.
“Don’t force anything,” Pozil said. “It has to be authentic.”