HOOQ Doubles Down on Made-in-Asia Slate with 19 New HOOQ Originals8 min read
Reading Time: 6 minutesHOOQ, Southeast Asia’s leading video-on-demand service has announced a deluge of exciting original productions while launching a new brand campaign furthering HOOQ’s hyper-local approach to entertainment throughout the region. As part of the brand campaign’s launch, HOOQ announced 19 new productions, including 12 series and seven movies, in its drive to deliver 100 HOOQ Originals by Q2 2020.
The significant content investment is seeing more HOOQ Originals in development, in production and on the platform than ever before. Including the 19 announced today, HOOQ’s Originals slate is now at 59 original productions across the region, complementing the more than 35,000 hours of movies, television shows, sports and currently on HOOQ, available anytime, anywhere.
Jennifer Batty, Chief Content Officer of HOOQ, says: “Across Southeast Asia we’ve seen a significant uptick in local content viewed year-on-year for the past three years. From January through September 2019 alone more than 51% of total playing minutes come from SEA content. These consumption habits drive our decision to keep laser-focused on building strong partnerships with the biggest studios, networks, production companies, screenwriters and directors in order to bring our customers the best of local, regional, Hollywood movies, television shows and short form.”
Stronger content combined with the best distribution partnerships in the region broaden HOOQ’s footprint and offering of relevant, high-quality content. This paves the way for people across Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand to view truly innovative and unique Asian stories like no other service has delivered. HOOQ is currently partnered with more than 20 leading companies bringing HOOQ to millions of Asians. These companies include the likes of AIS, Globe Telecom, Grab, Singtel, Telkom and Telkomsel and payment services OVO and Line Pay.
Peter Bithos, CEO of HOOQ, says: “HOOQ was born and raised in the heart of Asia. We know Southeast Asia and remain 100% focused on creating a truly Asian video platform for our nearly 80 million subscribers. There is such a rich cultural heritage in this region with so many local stories to bring to life. Our tie-ups with like-minded partners who want to push boundaries together allow us to deliver fresh and unique stories matching the context of each market in Southeast Asia.”
To bring more authentic stories told by Asia, for Asia, to life, HOOQ is bolstering its HOOQ Originals and local exclusive content offering with a slew of 19 announcements cutting across each and every one of its Southeast Asian markets. Partnerships with local filmmakers are core to HOOQ’s hyper-local focus as a voice for authentic, inspiring and thought-provoking local stories.
Indonesia
In Indonesia where HOOQ is the leading OTT video service, HOOQ is bringing 13 new Original productions to life. Anchoring its established leading offering of Indonesian content, HOOQ is expanding its partnership with MD Entertainment under which HOOQ and MD Entertainment are developing and launching four movies and four series together in a radically new “hybrid” format. Under this first-of-its-kind, innovative collaboration, MD Entertainment and HOOQ will develop four distinct storylines with each project delivering an interconnected movie and series – both of which will be developed, shot and produced simultaneously. All four will be released in 2020. Through its long-term partnership with MD Entertainment, HOOQ will continue to bring blockbusters exclusively onto HOOQ including hits Sunyi, Habibie & Ainun 3, Danur 3: Sunyaruri, the biggest first day box office of any Indonesian horror movie in history, and Twivotiare, among others.
HOOQ is expanding its long-time collaboration with Starvision. As part of that, HOOQ is premiering Season 2 of popular sitcom Cek Toko Sebelah in December while Yowis Ben, a coming of age comedy, season 1 is slated to stream in February 2020.
HOOQ continues its partnership with Marawa to bring season two of crime series Brata onto the platform early next year. Currently streaming on the platform is Stand Up Battle Indonesia, a HOOQ Originals comedy competition in collaboration with Telkomsel and HOOQ’s parent, Singtel.
Rounding out the slew of 13 Indonesian HOOQ Originals, HOOQ is launching a weekly talk show IMHO (“In My Humble Opinion”) in co-production with Vice Media. With cheeky humor, IMHO tackles the biggest stories, conversations, and topics trending in Indonesia. IMHO premieres in October 2019.
Philippines
Two new HOOQ Originals were recently unveiled at the Cinemalaya Film Festival in Manila. Iska Produced by HOOQ bagged three awards: Best Screenplay, Best Sound, and Best Actress. Mina Anud, in partnership with Regal Films, is a movie about a small seaside community disrupted when three tons of cocaine land on its shores closed the prestigious film festival. Both films land on HOOQ later this year.
Singapore
HOOQ is collaborating with award-winning Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen and his production company on a three-year first look and co-production deal. His latest film Wet Season, the first HOOQ Original for Singapore, premiered to rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. This month Wet Season racked up six Golden Horse Award nominations – Best Narrative Feature, Best Director for Anthony Chen, Best Leading Actress (for Yeo Yann Yann), Best Supporting Actor (for Koh Jia Ler and Yang Shi Bin) and Best Original Screenplay.
The winner of this year’s HOOQ Filmmakers Guild and HOOQ Original, She’s A Terrorist and I Love Her premieres on the platform in January 2020. The eight-part dark comedy revolves around a down-and-out man who enters a sham marriage for a quick payout, only to find that his beautiful “wife” is an extremist, hell-bent on wreaking havoc, and will premiere on HOOQ in December. The production is directed by Singapore’s homegrown online comedy channel, ‘Ministry of Funny’ led by Terence Chia and Haresh Tilani.
Thailand
HOOQ is extending its long-time exclusive partnership with M Pictures to bring blockbusters to the platform including Love Battle, Khun Bun Lue, and London Sweeties, among others. Coming soon are HOOQ Originals rooted on Thai stories and sensitivities including The Cave, a movie about the rescue of the young Thai football team from Tham Luang cave. Also, Someone, an eight-episode series, is a heartwarming collection of stories giving intimate insights into the complicated but always loving relationships of everyday Thais.
Bryan Seah, Head of Original Productions at HOOQ, says “At HOOQ we celebrate Asian stories as well as storytellers from Asia. From award winners, to studios, to up and coming young filmmakers, our slate continues to show our commitment to collaborate and nurture authentic and exciting voices from our part of the world and bring the best of Asian entertainment to all our HOOQ subscribers.”
These investments and partnerships come together affirming HOOQ’s commitment to growing the region, supported by a new brand campaign representing HOOQ’s next chapter. This includes a brand film shot in the Philippines and an original song titled ‘Hooked On You’ written and produced by HOOQ. “Hooked On You” campaign also features four localised versions of an “eye-conography” created by Dentsu Jayme Syfu adapted from the infinity symbol in the HOOQ logo.
Jane Cruz-Walker, VP of Marketing at HOOQ, says: “The infinity symbol is the heart of HOOQ showing the essence of the brand. It represents the window to something personal, which means diving deep into what Asians want – what makes them smile, feel, jump, scream and everything in between. So the eye-conography was an idea to bring the brand to life using visual elements that truly reflect the culture of each country where HOOQ is present. It is essentially a creative manifestation of HOOQ’s evolution and how we are an entertainment platform built in Asia, for Asians.”
Check out the brand film here.
About HOOQ
HOOQ is the first and leading premium video-on-demand service for emerging markets in Asia, delivering more than 35,000 hours of local, regional and Hollywood films, shows and live TV to its users anytime, anywhere and on any device. Started as a joint venture in January 2015 by Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros, HOOQ has built an entertainment destination deeply rooted in its understanding of consumers’ needs and habits. HOOQ currently operates in the Philippines, Thailand, India, Indonesia and Singapore, with a combined population footprint of more than 1.7 billion people. For more information, visit HOOQ.tv
To get hooked, download the HOOQ app from Apple Store or Google Play to access HOOQ’s library of Hollywood and Southeast-Asian hits. Sign up today for a 7-day free trial at www.hooq.tv and pay for the subscription through any payment method from Go-Pay wallet, to OVO wallet, to any registered Google play options.
