Studio Dragon to Produce US Drama Series <The Big Door Prize> for US Audiences through a Joint Planning/Production Contract with Apple TV Plus and Skydance Media

Studio Dragon, a premium storyteller group (CEOs Kang Cheol-gu and Kim Young-kyu) begins producing an American drama series with Apple TV Plus and production company Skydance Media.

Studio Dragon has announced that it would enter a joint planning and production agreement with Apple TV Plus and Skydance Media for the mystery fantasy genre <The Big Door Prize> today on June 1st. It is the first case of a Korean studio committed to producing a US series for a global audience, beyond the sale of finished content or remake rights.

<The Big Door Prize> is a 10-episode human drama that blends fantasy and mystery. Based on M.O. Walsh's novel of the same name, the drama script was written by Emmy and Golden Globe-winning author and producer David West Read who was recognized for his outstanding writing for <Schitt's Creek>.

This agreement marks the first collaboration between Studio Dragon and Apple TV Plus, which is rapidly growing into a leading global streaming service. This will lay the groundwork for the expansion of Studio Dragon’s influence as a global studio. Most notably, <The Big Door Prize> has a story plot that can be narrated over several seasons during which Studio Dragon’s sales and profits are expected to further expand.

At the beginning of last year, Studio Dragon signed a ‘strategic partnership for global content co-production and investment’ with Skydance Media, a prominent US production company. Since then, the two companies have actively exchanged original IP and pursued several joint planning and development projects. In addition to <The Big Door Prize>, which has been confirmed for production, Studio Dragon's four IP works including <Hotel Del Luna> are being planned and developed for remakes. Also under consideration is Skydance Media's other original work, raising the possibility of a second collaboration success. 

Studio Dragon CEO Kang Cheol-gu said, “Since the introduction of the first Korean drama studio model in 2016, Studio Dragon has continued to challenge itself to become competitive in the global media market, and in particular, has made every effort to directly enter the industry-leading US market,” stressing, “With <The Big Door Prize>, we will internalize the global production process and grow into a global studio, laying the foundation for talented Korean content creators striving to play an active role on the world stage.”