Korean content companies look beyond box office to IP rights

Korean content companies are increasingly treating IP rights as long-term revenue assets rather than relying only on original box office or streaming runs. NEW said on Tuesday that a sequel to the Indonesian remake of Miracle in Cell No. 7 will be remade for the Philippine market, marking the first resale of sequel rights created entirely outside Korea to a third country. The deal reflects a broader push into Southeast Asia, where paid streaming accounts reached 61 million across five countries last year. Barunson E&A and Kakao Entertainment are also expanding localized film, series and webtoon projects in the region.

Miracle in Cell No. 7 drew over 12 million viewers in Korea when it was released in 2013.

NEW said 2nd Miracle in Cell No. 7 will be remade for the Philippine market, with a release set for Dec. 25.

The first Philippine version of Miracle in Cell No. 7 earned more than 1.1 billion won, or $8.2 million, at the local box office in 2019.

Media Partners Asia said paid streaming accounts across Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam reached 61 million last year, up 19 percent from the previous year.

Barunson E&A recently partnered with Studio N to develop films and series in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam using webtoon and web novel IP.

Published Sep 8, 2026 2:02 pm KST

A poster for "2nd Miracle in Cell No. 7" / Courtesy of NEW

Korean intellectual properties (IP) are increasingly generating revenue not just from the original films or shows, but from secondary markets years after their initial release.

A clear example of this trend is "Miracle in Cell No. 7," a 2013 Korean hit film that drew over 12 million viewers. The movie is now making money through a remake of a remake.

On Tuesday, NEW, the media company behind the original film, announced that "2nd Miracle in Cell No. 7" — a sequel to its Indonesian remake — will be remade again for the Philippine market with a release set for Dec. 25.

This marks the first time rights to a sequel created entirely outside Korea have been resold to a third country. The deal allows the original Korean rights holder to collect additional royalties without writing or filming the sequel in Korea.

"Miracle in Cell No. 7" has already been remade in Indonesia, Turkey and the Philippines. The first Philippine version earned more than 1.1 billion won ($8.2 million) at the local box office in 2019.

Lee Jung-ha, head of NEW’s subsidiary Content Panda, called the movie "a massive cultural asset across Southeast Asia," adding that the firm aims to build long-term franchise revenue from strong IP.

This deal points to a broader shift in how Korean entertainment companies view Southeast Asia. The region's young population and high mobile use have turned it into a major growth market.

The industry's view is that Southeast Asia is becoming a hub for co-production and investment, not just a market to sell content. According to market tracker Media Partners Asia, paid streaming accounts across five Southeast Asian nations — Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam — hit 61 million last year, up 19 percent from the previous year.

An industry official said holding IP rights is no longer enough. As overseas markets grow, companies must actively turn those stories into localized projects, rather than relying on passive licensing income.

"Securing IP is only the first step. Companies that build local networks and adapt strong stories for regional markets will turn it into real business,” the official said.

Actors Ryu Seung-ryong, right, and Gal So-won in a scene from the 2013 movie "Miracle in Cell No. 7" / Courtesy of NEW

Barunson E&A is moving quickly in this space. The company recently partnered with Naver Webtoon's production arm, Studio N, to develop films and series in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam using webtoon and web novel IP.

Barunson already has a strong track record in the region. In Indonesia, its joint production "Ghost in the Cell" was sold to over 140 countries after showing at the Berlin International Film Festival. In Thailand, Barunson is working with top film studio GDH 559 on a new horror film "Inherit."

Kakao Entertainment is taking a similar approach with its webtoon library. The firm is localizing titles such as "Business Proposal" for a Hong Kong drama adaptation and "Nth Romance " for Taiwan, working closely with local production teams.

韩国内容公司正日益将IP版权视为长期收益资产，而不仅仅依赖原创影片的票房或流媒体播放量。NEW公司周二宣布，将翻拍印尼版《7号房的礼物》的续集，并面向菲律宾市场进行制作。这标志着韩国首次将完全在韩国境外制作的续集版权转售至第三国。该交易也反映出韩国公司正大力拓展东南亚市场。去年，东南亚五国的付费流媒体账户数量达到6100万。此外，Barunson E&A和Kakao Entertainment也在该地区拓展本土化的电影、剧集和网络漫画项目。

《7号房的礼物》于2013年在韩国上映时，吸引了超过1200万观众。

NEW表示，《7号房的礼物2》将为菲律宾市场重新制作，并定于12月25日上映。

2019 年，菲律宾版《7 号房的礼物》在当地票房收入超过 11 亿韩元，约合 820 万美元。

Media Partners Asia表示，去年印度尼西亚、泰国、菲律宾、新加坡和越南的付费流媒体账户数量达到6100万，比上一年增长了19%。

Barunson E&A 最近与 Studio N 合作，利用网络漫画和网络小说 IP 在印度尼西亚、泰国和越南开发电影和电视剧。

发布于2026年9月8日下午2:02（韩国标准时间）

《7号牢房的第二个奇迹》海报 / 由 NEW 提供

韩国知识产权（IP）不仅在原创电影或节目中，而且在首次发行数年后，还在二级市场中不断创造收入。

这一趋势的一个明显例子是2013年的韩国热门电影《7号房的礼物》，该片吸引了超过1200万观众。如今，这部电影通过翻拍版的翻拍版再次盈利。

周二，原版电影的制作公司 NEW 宣布，《7号房的奇迹2》（印尼翻拍版的续集）将再次翻拍，面向菲律宾市场，并定于 12 月 25 日上映。

这是首次将完全在韩国境外创作的续集版权转售给第三国。该协议允许原韩国版权持有者在无需在韩国编写或拍摄续集的情况下收取额外版税。

《7号房的礼物》已被翻拍成印尼、土耳其和菲律宾的电影。菲律宾版于2019年上映，票房收入超过11亿韩元（约合820万美元）。

NEW旗下子公司Content Panda的负责人李正河称这部电影是“东南亚地区巨大的文化资产”，并补充说，该公司旨在通过强大的IP建立长期特许经营收入。

这项交易表明韩国娱乐公司对东南亚市场的看法正在发生更广泛的转变。该地区年轻的人口结构和高移动普及率使其成为一个重要的增长市场。

业内人士认为，东南亚正在成为联合制作和投资中心，而不仅仅是内容销售市场。据市场追踪机构 Media Partners Asia 的数据显示，去年东南亚五国（印尼、泰国、菲律宾、新加坡和越南）的付费流媒体账户数量达到 6100 万，比上年增长 19%。

一位业内人士表示，仅仅拥有知识产权已经远远不够。随着海外市场的增长，企业必须积极将这些故事转化为本地化项目，而不是仅仅依赖被动的授权收入。

“保护知识产权只是第一步。那些建立本地网络并针对区域市场改编精彩故事的公司，才能将其转化为真正的商业利益，”这位官员表示。

演员柳承龙（右）和葛素媛在2013年电影《7号房的礼物》中的剧照 / 图片由NEW提供

Barunson E&A 在该领域发展迅速。该公司近期与 Naver Webtoon 旗下的制作公司 Studio N 达成合作，计划利用网络漫画和网络小说的 IP，在印度尼西亚、泰国和越南开发电影和剧集。

巴伦森在该地区已拥有辉煌的业绩。在印度尼西亚，其联合制作的影片《牢房里的幽灵》在柏林国际电影节展映后，已售往140多个国家。在泰国，巴伦森正与顶级电影制片公司GDH 559合作，拍摄一部名为《继承》的恐怖新片。

Kakao Entertainment 对其网络漫画库也采取了类似的策略。该公司正在与当地制作团队紧密合作，将《商业提案》等作品本地化，改编成香港电视剧，并将《第N次浪漫》改编成台湾电视剧。