Utopai Studios Fully Integrates Utopai East Following Rapid Expansion Across Korea and Japan

Integration of Utopai East brings regional development and production capabilities in Korea and Japan, and more than 18 film and television projects into Utopai Studios; Hyun Park named President of Utopai Studios APAC region

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. & SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Utopai Studios today announced the unification of its Asia-Pacific business, completing the integration of Utopai East into Utopai Studios and naming veteran international media executive Hyun Park President of Utopai Studios APAC region.

The move brings the company’s Korea-based production operation, Japan development business, regional partnerships and pipeline of more than 18 film and television projects into a single global studio structure. Park will oversee development, production, partnerships and expansion across the Asia-Pacific region while continuing to lead IP development across Utopai Studios.

Utopai Studios has approximately 25 film and television projects in development and production, with its first titles entering production in 2026 and releases planned for 2027. The integration connects creators in Korea and Japan directly with the company’s global development, production and technology teams.

Created in November 2025 as a joint venture between Utopai Studios and Stock Farm Road, Utopai East moved from launch to operating scale in ten months. Under founding CEO Kevin Chong, the business established a permanent production base in Korea, built a development operation in Japan, expanded its regional AI-production capabilities and formed relationships across the live-action and anime industries. Chong now serves as COO of Utopai Studios.

The venture was created to develop East Asian intellectual property for global audiences, building on the international popularity of Korean films and television, the global reach of Japanese anime and renewed global interest in Japanese live-action entertainment.

South Korea’s content exports reached a record $14.9 billion in 2025, according to preliminary government figures. Japan’s anime market reached a record ¥3.84 trillion in 2024, with more than half of its revenue coming from overseas. Netflix and Amazon are also expanding their investments in Japanese live-action and animated content for global audiences.

“Utopai East proved that our strategy in Asia could move quickly from ambition to execution,” said Cecilia Shen, CEO and Co-Founder of Utopai Studios. “Kevin led the business from launch through integration, and Hyun helped build the creative and production engine at its center. Hyun brings a rare combination of creative judgment, local market knowledge and global experience, making him the right leader to take Utopai Studios APAC into its next phase.”

A major milestone in that expansion was Utopai East’s February 2026 acquisition of Alquimista Media, the Seoul-based production company founded by Park. The acquisition established Utopai East’s production base in Korea and added more than 15 scripted film and television projects to its pipeline.

Alquimista Media’s recent work includes its association with Bedford Park, with Park serving as an executive producer. The film premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, received the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Debut Feature and was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics.

Park has more than two decades of experience across Asia, Europe and the Americas. His previous roles include Head of the Global Division at CJ ENM’s Studio Dragon, co-Head of Warner Bros. Korea and co-founder of the U.S.-based streaming platform DramaFever.

In Japan, Utopai East built a dedicated development team focused on originating and adapting Japanese intellectual property for global audiences. The team has been developing projects with Japanese creators, producers and studios while establishing collaborations across the country’s live-action and anime industries.

The regional slate includes Half Moon, an upcoming German-Korean live-action feature from writer-director Hyo-joo Yang. Utopai Studios is presenting, co-producing and investing in the film alongside Germany’s In Good Company and Korea’s Paper Barn. Principal photography will begin in Germany the first week of September, with Utopai Studios’ technology supporting select visual elements while the production remains filmmaker-led.

“Korea and Japan will play an increasingly important role in the global entertainment economy,” said Park. “Our opportunity is to connect the region’s creators and intellectual property with international production resources while applying technology in ways that expand what filmmakers can achieve. We have built the foundation; the next phase is turning it into an enduring platform for Asian stories to reach audiences worldwide.”

About Utopai Studios

Utopai Studios is building the next evolution of the global studio system for the AI era. The company combines original IP development, production expertise, talent partnerships, and proprietary AI infrastructure to create and scale stories across film, television, streaming, animation, and digital platforms. At the center of its model is PAI, Utopai Studios’ cinematic storytelling artificial intelligence system, which is designed for long-form entertainment workflows. Utopai Studios is building a studio model designed to protect authorship, expand creative opportunity and bring ambitious projects to market faster and more efficiently. The company’s international footprint includes Utopai Studios APAC and Utopai GmbH in Germany, reflecting its expanding presence across key global markets. For more information, visit www.utopaistudios.com.