In a major move towards the global market, Artist Studio —led by renowned South Korean actor Lee Jung Jae—has entered into a strategic partnership with the UK’s Imaginarium Productions to produce a live-action K-pop and spy film titled ‘ Secret Idol ’ (working title).
The collaboration was announced on May 26, 2025 and immediately caught the attention of the international entertainment industry. Reporting from Allkpop on Monday May 26, 2025, 'Secret Idol' will present a unique story about a secret agent who goes undercover as a K-pop trainee to infiltrate the glamorous but competitive music industry.
Behind the spotlight of the stage and the glitz of the idol world, the agent must face a global crime syndicate in a high-risk mission. The film promises an explosive mix of the harsh realities of the K-pop world and the thrills of teen espionage films, creating a cinematic universe like never before.
Artist Studio, as part of the entertainment group Artist Group led by Lee Jung Jae, has grown into an all-round content studio. They handle the entire production process, from story development, production, distribution, to broadcasting.
The studio was previously involved in distributing the films 'Following' and 'One Win' in South Korea. Lee Jung Jae himself is increasingly known to the world after achieving global success through his role in the series 'Squid Game.'
Previously, he starred in and directed the espionage action film 'Hunt' in 2022, which showed his abilities in the action and political genres. He founded Artist Company with senior actor Jung Woo Sung in 2016, and has since continued to build a reputation as a creative leader in the Korean entertainment industry.
Meanwhile, Imaginarium Productions is a UK-based studio founded by Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish in 2011. Serkis is best known for his roles as Gollum in 'The Lord of the Rings' and Caesar in 'Planet of the Apes,' while Cavendish is a producer on the 'Bridget Jones' series.
Imaginarium has developed a reputation as a pioneer in performance capture technology and high-tech storytelling, with a portfolio including 'Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle' and the Netflix series 'The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself.'
Currently, they are preparing the film 'The Hunt for Gollum,' a prequel to 'The Lord of the Rings' with Warner Bros, as reported by The Korea Herald. This cross-border collaboration not only includes story development, but also involves joint strategic production planning.
The two have worked together since the early stages, including on visual development, production strategy, and discussions about international casting involving Hollywood and Korean actors.
Not only that, they are also exploring cooperation with global distributors to ensure the international launch of 'Secret Idol.' According to Artist Studio representatives, 'Secret Idol' is an innovative project that affirms the global potential of Korean content, especially K-pop.
They hope that this project will become a cultural bridge that can reach audiences from various parts of the world. " Through our partnership with Imaginarium, we want to tell stories that have universal appeal and strong selling power in international markets, " they said, as quoted by Pink Villa.
The film has sparked enthusiasm among K-pop fans and lovers of espionage action films. With a fresh concept, a strong production team, and the ambition to penetrate the global market, 'Secret Idol' is projected to be a cross-cultural work that shakes up the international entertainment world.
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