Disney+ is putting local-language originals at the centre of its Asia-Pacific plan. Jon Wax, executive VP of international original television at Disney Entertainment, told the Busan International Film Festival on Wednesday that the streamer is tripling local-language output globally and will soon name a new commissioning lead in Australia.
The push is explicit catch-up. Wax said Disney arrived at local originals later than Netflix and is now “playing catch-up in a way that’s very exciting”. Recent earnings calls, he noted, have put non-U.S. content in the spotlight, and the local-originals baton has been carried forward as leadership moved from Bob Iger to Josh D’Amaro.
Where the money is heading
Australia gets a new commissioner and higher local spending. Southeast Asia, where Disney+ pulled back earlier, is not being written off. Asked about markets such as Indonesia, Wax said specific titles are being explored: “It is absolutely on the menu. We just need some time to execute.”
Korea remains the engine room. Local adaptations of the unscripted hit “Battle of Fates” are in prep; the original became the biggest series premiere ever on Disney+ in Korea and spawned “House of Fates”. Wax framed unscripted as part of a healthy slate because it is cheaper and faster to mount than big scripted shows.
Local-first is the filter
Disney+ wants Korean shows to work at home before travelling. Romance titles “The Remarried Empress” and “Perfect Crown” are cited as proof that the slate has moved beyond the action-heavy male skew of the 2021 launch. Wax’s bar for Korea is now the same as the U.S.: slick production is not enough without a strong character journey.
He also made the case for original stories over a diet of known IP. Big franchises and big stars help, but a potent idea can get greenlit without either. The upcoming “The Koreans”, a reworking of FX’s “The Americans”, is one example; it began with a Korean producer who saw the original as adaptable for the Korean Peninsula.
Disney is also leaning on window-sharing co-productions with local broadcasters, internally called “currents”, and sees anime as a longer-tail priority, from “Twisted-Wonderland” to a planned “Death Stranding” title. Japanese live-action will move more deliberately, while microseries and live events are being tested.
What to watch
- Australia: new commissioner named; local spending set to rise.
- Indonesia and Southeast Asia: specific titles under exploration.
- Korea: “Battle of Fates” local versions in prep; “Portraits of Delusion” upcoming.
- Japan: anime is the nearer-term bet; live-action will take longer.
For producers and platform buyers, the message is to treat local success as the travel permit. The five-year goal, Wax said, is for Disney+ to become a daily destination in Asia-Pacific where viewers stay for discovery, not just specific titles.
Source: Variety
