Netflix has showcased four features as part of a wide-ranging slate of content from South Korea that will land on the streaming platform in 2026.
The titles, which have previously been announced, include romantic drama Pavane from director Lee Jong-pil; action-comedy Husbands In Action by Park Gyu-tae; action sequel Mission: Cross 2 from Lee Myung-hoon; and Possible Love by acclaimed filmmaker Lee Chang-dong, known for Cannes award-winner Burning.
During a presentation of more than 30 Korean titles, mostly TV series, Netflix vice president of content for APAC Minyoung Kim said local investment had helped drive its success in the country, which produced hit series Squid Game.
“We gave K-drama fans more of what they loved, but invested in differentiated new stories that took K-Content fandom to the next level,” she said. “What made all this possible is local investment. Our teams in APAC know what the local creative community is capable of, and they are filled with passion to take local storytelling to the next level.”
The executive was joined at the Asia Pacific showcase by Don Kang, vice president of content for Korea, who added: “Content made in Korean, a language spoken by only 50 million of the world’s 8 billion people, has become the most viewed content in the world only after English content. Over the past five years, more than 210 Korean titles have been ranked in the global top 10. And now, “the most Korean story is the most global story” has become a reality.”
Release dates for the upcoming films have yet to be revealed by Pavane will be the first to become available in the first quarter of the year. Produced by The Lamp and based on the book Pavane For A Dead Princess by Park Min-gyu, the melodrama stars Ko A-sung, Byun Yo-han and Moon Sang-min. The story follows a handsome young man who begins a relationship with an unpopular young woman, whose pairing grows rocky as a series of unforeseen events occur. It reunites director Lee with Ko after working together on 2020 comedy drama Samjin Company English Class. Lee is also known for directing 2015 period drama The Sound Of A Flower.
Action-comedy Husbands in Action is due in Q2, produced by TPS Company and directed by Park, known for comedy hit 6/45. It follows the chaotic, unpredictable mission of Si-nae’s ex-husband, Chung-sik, and her current husband, Min-seok, as they begrudgingly team up to rescue her after she is kidnapped by a dangerous criminal group. The cast is led by Jin Sun-kyu, Gong Myoung, Kim Ji-suk and Yoon Kyung-ho.
Mission: Cross 2 is a sequel to the 2024 spy action comedy by director Lee, who has reunited with Hwang Jung-min as Kang-mu, who shifts between his roles as a loving husband and a former special ops agent, alongside Yum Jung-ah as the charismatic Mi-seon, a former national shooting athlete turned ace detective. Their new mission is to stop a shadowy organisation from smuggling Korea’s cultural heritage artifacts out of the country. Produced by Sanai Pictures, Plus M Entertainment and Obra Creative, it is due in Q3.
Rounding out the feature is Possible Love (working title), the anticipated new film from director Lee, whose last three films played in Competition at Cannes. He returns with his first feature since 2018’s Burning, which made the Oscars shortlist. His latest centres on two married couples whose worlds collide, creating fractures between them. The cast includes Jean Do-yeon, who won best actress at Cannes in 2007 for her role in Lee’s Secret Sunshine. Producers are Pinehouse Film, Anonymous Content and Nowfilm.
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