Netflix’s Strategy for Southeast Asian Originals Begins to Take Shape1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMalaysian ghosts and stranded Thai students are featured in the first originals from the region.
Netflix is hoping a Malaysian ghost story based on a New York Times bestseller and a Thai tale about students stranded after a tsunami will capture the imagination of the world when the streaming giant launches its first original series out of Southeast Asia.
The Ghost Bride (Malaysia) and The Stranded (Thailand) are currently in production and will break new ground for Netflix as the platform looks to tap into the talent and content on offer in a market that boasts a combined population of an estimated 650 million people.
“There’s a huge concentration of film talent in Southeast Asia,” said Erika North, Netflix’s director of international original programming. “From a Netflix perspective we really think about content in a holistic way. We’re really thinking about the way we can engage with producers and content creators across the spectrum, from licensing through to originals. For us it’s about finding the best way to access content and to procure that content for the widest possible audience.”
Photo credit: Hollywood Reporter
