“Kpop Demon Hunters” breakout Ji-young Yoo and singer-songwriter Eric Nam will star in Paramount’s upcoming K-pop-set music drama.
The untitled film has been slated to release in theaters on Feb. 12, 2027. The story revolves around a young Korean American woman who defies her family’s wishes by competing in a televised competition to find the next K-pop girl group. The project is expected to be the first major American studio film shot entirely in South Korea.
Benson Lee (“Seoul Searching”) will direct the movie, which was has been in the works since 2020 and was originally set up at 20th Century Studios. Paramount’s motion picture group president Michael Ireland oversaw the project during its development at 20th Century Fox and acquired the film in turnaround from Disney before bringing it to Paramount under the studio’s chief Brian Robbins.
“This film is my love letter to K-pop — its energy, passion, magic, and the incredible community behind it,” Lee said in a statement. “I’m deeply grateful to Paramount Pictures for championing the project, to our producers for their unwavering dedication, to our talented and dynamic cast, and to the legends of the genre helping us bring this story to life. This one’s for the dreamers.”
Eileen Shim wrote the latest draft of the screenplay after attempts by “Crazy Rich Asians” scribe Adele Lim, Elyse Hollander and Lee.
Scooter Braun will produce the film along with James Shin of Hybe America and Arthur Spector and Joshua Davis of Epic Magazine. Executive producers include Joshuah Bearman of Epic Magazine, John Zaozirny and Scott Manson. Paramount’s senior VP of production Bryan Oh is overseeing the project on behalf of the studio.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Paramount Pictures on this historic opportunity to bring this story to audiences worldwide,” Shin, president of film and television at Hybe America said. “This film captures the incredible dedication and artistry that defines K-pop and its insatiable popularity, while showcasing the universal themes of chasing your dreams against all odds.”
Yoo has been immersed in the K-pop world through her leading voice role in Netflix’s breakout hit “Kpop Demon Hunters,” an animated feature about a K-pop group who uses their secret identity as demon hunters to protect their fans from supernatural danger. Her other credits include Lulu Wang’s limited television series “Expats” and the action thriller “Freaky Tales.”
Nam, a real-life K-pop artist, recently made his acting debut in the Bill Camp-led action thriller “Transplant” with Bill Camp. He will voice the lead character of Aang in Paramount’s upcoming feature “The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender” and will next appear on Season 4 of the reality tv show “The Traitors.”