Squid Game star Lee Jung Jae's agency teams up with UK studio for Secret Idol: All we know about K-pop spy thriller
South Korea's Artist Company has entered into an ambitious creative partnership with the U.K.'s Imaginarium Productions. This newly announced collaboration, revealed on May 26, sets the stage for the production of Secret Idol. It is an innovative live-action film that seeks to merge the pulsating energy of the K-pop industry with the intense suspense of a global espionage thriller.
Founded by Korean film icons Lee Jung Jae and Jung Woo Sung, Artist Company has become a respected name in the Korean entertainment landscape. Long before Lee Jung Jae 's international breakout role in Squid Game, the studio had already been making waves as a talent-driven production house,
It represents a roster of top-tier Korean actors such as Kim Hye Yoon, Lim Ji Yeon, Park Hae Jin, Won Jin Ah, Choi Yi Hyun, among others. With this new international venture, the company takes a bold step into the global film market. This signals its intent to become a cross-border creative powerhouse.
The film at the heart of this partnership, Secret Idol, offers a unique and genre-defying premise. In this, a covert intelligence operative goes undercover as a K-pop trainee, immersing themselves in the hyper-competitive idol training system. At the same time, they pursue a high-stakes mission against a dangerous global crime syndicate. The story promises to bring high-octane action with plot twists. It will also provide a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the pressure-cooker world of K-pop, where stardom comes at a cost and appearances are everything.
What sets this project apart is not only its original concept but also the deep level of collaboration between the two production companies. Artist Company and Imaginarium Productions are working closely together from the earliest stages of development. They are co-creating the story, visual style, and production plan.
There is already talk of assembling an international cast, with interest in including both Korean and Western talent. Additionally, both companies are in discussions with potential global distributors and co-producers, aiming to give Secret Idol a truly international release.
Imaginarium Productions was co-founded in 2011 by performance-capture pioneer and actor-director Andy Serkis and producer Jonathan Cavendish. The studio's portfolio includes feature films like Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, The Ritual, as well as The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself. Currently, the company is in pre-production on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
Meanwhile, Secret Idol stands out as a project with the potential to break new ground. With its fresh concept, strong creative backing, and cross-continental collaboration, the film could serve as a cultural bridge between East and West. Fans of both K-pop and spy thrillers are already buzzing with anticipation. They are eager for more details as production ramps up.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Goldberg is ready to give one last show to his fans before WWE retirement
Goldberg (Image via WWE) Once one of the biggest in-ring names in the WCW, Goldberg joined WWE a few years into the transition after his contract with AOL Time Warner expired. He then went on a break for a few years before returning to the WWE stage in 2016. But at 58 years of age, he is not what he once was, and it's starting to slow him down a little. This is why he is now getting ready for his last match in the squared circle, preparing for his retirement from WWE. Goldberg talks WWE retirement and the toll it is taking on his body Goldberg wants his retirement match to be a once-in-a-lifetime thing and, thus, is preparing heavily for it. He said that he knows when his last match is going to be, but getting ready for it has not been easy. Heavy training has taken its toll and injuries have been popping up one after the other. Appearing on CarCast , the WWE veteran said that he has injured himself multiple times while getting fight-ready for the finale. "I know the date (of my retirement match). No one else knows the date public-wise… I hurt myself a couple times in the past three months. But I pulled back... I've got a very high bar to set that I set for myself and 99 times out of a hundred, it's unrealistic… I've been in the ring a couple times. I'm gonna get in the ring again today and it's just tough, man. It is tough.' Goldberg said that he knows it is unrealistic, especially at this age, to think that his body can handle the pressure that he is putting it in. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo But at the same time, he wants to do the best he can in what would be his goodbye to something he has loved for so long. There have been some rumors that he could be at the Saturday Night Main Event in Atlanta in July, which could serve as his retirement stage, but it's been speculation as of now. Goldberg is ready to give his all one last time Goldberg is ready to put in his everything, even if it means a couple of injuries on the way. From Muay Thai to some really intense workout sessions, the WWE Hall of Famer is not pulling any stops. He has blown his shoulders and bicep and pulled his hamstring, all while trying to throw a high kick. But none of that is going to stop him. 'I'm not just showing up to show up. I need to show up and be me… That was the first day that I felt really good.' He knows what's at stake, and is not going to let his fans down at any cost, even if it means sporting a couple of injuries and whatnot. Fans will definitely be waiting to learn more about his retirement match, while Goldberg gets ready for one last fight. Also Read: WWE star John Cena once again professes his love for K-Pop group BTS, as ARMY awaits reunion after more than 2 years
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
What Makes SEVENTEEN Different? 10 Years Of Loving The K-Pop Thirteen That Outsmarted The System
New Delhi: You don't often hear the word "anomaly" used as a compliment in the hyper-formatted, hyper-efficient machine that is the K-pop industry. But SEVENTEEN wears it like a crown. Ten years into their journey, the thirteen-member group has not only survived the churn-and-burn nature of idol stardom, but they've also reshaped what it means to thrive. Call it staying power. Call it self-definition. Call it the quiet revolution of a group that turned being "too big" into their biggest strength. In an industry built on glossy perfection and strict creative hierarchies, SEVENTEEN has always been a little too hands-on, a little too collaborative and a little too good at what they do. Now, as they celebrate a decade together in 2025, the question isn't whether they're successful; it's how they've managed to stay this original, this relevant, and this fan-connected for this long. And the answer? They never stopped being themselves, they just kept evolving. 13 + 3 + 1 = SEVENTEEN: A Name, A Philosophy When SEVENTEEN debuted in 2015 under PLEDIS Entertainment, their name confused more people than it clarified: why Seventeen when there are clearly 13 members? But the math was more poetic than literal - 13 members, divided into 3 specialised units (hip-hop, vocal, performance), coming together as 1 cohesive team. It was a statement of structure and synergy and also, quietly, a vision for longevity. Each unit brought something distinctive: the hip-hop team ( Wonwoo, Mingyu, Vernon) crafted sharp, introspective raps. The vocal team (Woozi, Jeonghan, Joshua, DK, Seungkwan) delivered emotional depth with soaring harmonies. The performance unit (Hoshi, Jun, The8, Dino) turned the stages into kinetic art. But the brilliance was in the balance - no member was left behind, no skill left undeveloped. It was democratised stardom from the start. Unlike many K-pop acts whose output is driven by behind-the-scenes producers, SEVENTEEN was branded as "self-producing idols." That wasn't just PR polish; main vocalist Woozi has long helmed the group's songwriting and production alongside in-house producer Bumzu, while Hoshi and the performance team are responsible for much of the group's dynamic choreography. They didn't just perform the art. They made it. And they've never stopped. Why SEVENTEEN Feels Brand-New Even Today Most K-pop groups spend their early years finding a sound, middle years perfecting it, and late years clinging to it. SEVENTEEN, somehow, has sidestepped that linearity. In 2024 alone, they performed on the main stage at Glastonbury Festival - the first K-pop act to do so and headlined Lollapalooza Berlin. Their RIGHT HERE World Tour drew 1.5 million fans across continents. At the Billboard Music Awards, they took home the Top K-pop Touring Artist award. But the numbers aren't the most interesting part. The art is. The group's recent mini-album SPILL THE FEELS landed on Billboard's "25 Best K-pop Albums of 2024." The standout track Spell from their best-of compilation 17 IS RIGHT HERE, was named one of the year's best K-pop tracks and music videos. And all of it, despite their decade-long tenure, feels fresh, not recycled. That's because SEVENTEEN hasn't stayed relevant by repeating past formulas. They've dismantled them. Their sound now shapeshifts between alternative R&B, synth-pop, orchestral ballads and hyperpop-adjacent experiments. There's a level of musical risk here that few idol groups, especially those this established, are allowed to take. And yet, SEVENTEEN is producing chart-friendly hits that aren't afraid to be complex, strange, or vulnerable. What Is SEVENTEEN's Real Superpower? SEVENTEEN has always understood the power of narrative. But instead of leaning on mystery or mythology like many idol groups, they leaned into transparency. Through YouTube reality series like GOING SEVENTEEN and Debut Big Plan, fans (affectionately known as CARATs) have watched the members grow up - bickering, failing, celebrating and changing. This access, paired with the group's input into everything from set design to vocal mixing, means their story feels authored by them. More impressively, SEVENTEEN has sidestepped the common K-pop trap of becoming a brand before becoming people. Their personalities, from Seungkwan's variety show genius to Jeonghan's gentle chaos to The8's philosophical art-boy aura, aren't scripted archetypes. They're human. And that realness is a form of reinvention in an industry that often insists on perfection. The Power Of 13 SEVENTEEN is one of the rare groups whose size never felt like a gimmick. If anything, it gave them the tools for something more cinematic. Their choreography is an exercise in precision and spectacle - think kaleidoscopic formations, visual metaphors and dance breaks that feel like short films. In Don't Wanna Cry, the members move like streetlights and shadows. In My My, their bodies become ocean waves. The choreography isn't just technically impressive. It's narrative. And that's because the performance unit, under Hoshi's lead, doesn't choreograph to fill time. They choreograph to say something. That's what makes SEVENTEEN performances feel less like concerts and more like art installations, designed to be watched and rewatched with new meaning each time. The Future Isn't A Rebrand, It's A Reinforcement At ten years, most idol groups either rebrand to stay afloat or settle into nostalgia. SEVENTEEN has done neither. Instead, they've reinforced who they've always been: hyper-collaborative, fiercely creative and impossible to copy. The industry has caught up to them in some ways, and self-producing idols are no longer anomalies. But none have done it quite like SEVENTEEN. And none have lasted this long while doing it their way. As they enter their second decade, SEVENTEEN isn't just rewriting K-pop's rules. They're rewriting its rhythm - one beat, one verse, one vision at a time. And if you're still wondering why they're called SEVENTEEN, here's your answer: because being more than the sum of your parts isn't a contradiction. It's the whole point.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Yellowstone star Kevin Costner's embattled movie project faces struggle, gets disappointing update
Yellowstone's Kevin Costner's movie project in trouble Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Kevin Costner, the star of Yellowstone, is forging ahead with his Horizon series amid various hurdles and scandals and the future beyond 2024's first installment looks bleak. Kevin Costner is forging on with his ambitious Horizon series, despite facing an array of obstacles and simmering eager for the third chapter of the proposed quartet of Western epics may be in for a torturous wait, as the release date remains elusive. The ambitious four-part film project has faced challenges from the start. Reports suggest that Kevin Costner's decision to invest $38 million of his own money created strain in his former marriage to Christine Baumgartner and may have played a key role in his departure from Yellowstone, reports Hollywood it hit theaters in August 2024, it earned only $11 million on opening weekend, and a total of $32 million globally as of September 2024, a month after it premiered. The second film was ultimately pulled from a theatrical the disappointing box office performance of the first film — a particular blow to Kevin Costner, who had personally invested $38 million (£28 million) — plans for a theatrical release of the sequel were this setback, serious allegations of sexual discrimination and harassment have surfaced from the production. Stuntwoman Devyn LaBella has filed a lawsuit, claiming she was involved in a 'violent, unscripted, and unscheduled rape scene.'Costner's legal team has firmly denied the allegations, stating they are 'entirely without merit.'Despite its myriad of challenges — most recently allegations of sexual discrimination, sexual harassment and creation of a hostile work environment based on sex on set — production on Horizon appears to be continuing, though not without ongoing challenges. While the first film is available on Netflix, the second has yet to be made available on streaming after it failed to have a theatrical release. When asked if he's heard an update about the second chapter's release, Glynn Turman, who appeared in the second film and is meant to also feature in the third installment, confessed: "Not a thing."Although filming for Part 3 reportedly kicked off, Turman revealed to ScreenRant: "I don't know if they've continued it."Speaking to ScreenRant, he elaborated: "I think there was a temporary shutdown and I don't know if they went back, but Part 2, I can't wait to see."While the first installment is already streaming on Netflix, there's still no official word on when Horizon: Chapter 2 will be admitted he's completely in the dark about the timeline.'It's a bit frustrating—not just for me, but for everyone involved,' he said. 'That said, I really love Part 1. It reminds us of classic filmmaking—story-driven, immersive—and Kevin is one of the best at delivering that. I truly admire the bold move he made.'Speculation around the project's rocky production and Kevin Costner's split from Christine Baumgartner has fueled rumors about why he exited Yellowstone just as it was building toward its an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the veteran actor reflected on his career trajectory:'I don't mind going along with the crowd, but if they're not heading where I want to go, I have no problem taking my own path.'I'm just hoping to find that rare creative partner—man or woman—who wants to make meaningful films with me for the next decade. 'Someone who believes in telling stories that might actually stand the test of time.'
