K-pop entertainment company SM Entertainment is partnering with new UK indie Moon&Back Media to create and debut a new UK boy band to TV audiences worldwide – “a first-of-its-kind partnership between Korea and the UK.”
Korea’s SM Entertainment is widely credited with being the company that created K-pop and launched over a dozen globally successful pop groups like NCT, aespa, SuperM, Red Velvet, RIIZE, and more. Meanwhile, Moon&Back was founded by multi-BAFTA-winning producer Nigel Hall (Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor, One Direction) broadcast leader Dawn Airey (C4, C5, ITV, Sky, Getty Images), and leading talent manager Russ Lindsay (Ant & Dec, Simon Cowell). Asylum Entertainment Group invested in Moon&Back earlier this year.
The series’ executive team includes music industry executive Ben Karter (The Script, Westlife, Taylor Swift) and multi-award-winning producer and Emmy-nominated showrunner James McKinlay (X Factor, America’s Got Talent) and BAFTA-winning Executive Producer David Hall (Deal or No Deal, The Chase, The Greatest Dancer).
Shot over the course of six months, the unique TV series will follow a fledgling boy band as they depart London in early 2024 “on the adventure of a lifetime.” Pre-production for the series, which will be shot in the UK and South Korea, is underway as are discussions with major broadcasters, record labels and music publishers.
Joseph Chang, CEO of SM & Kakao Entertainment America, said, “This collaboration signifies our first footprint in Europe. Our expansion blueprint will continue to span across North and South America, Europe, and other pivotal markets, leveraging SM Entertainment’s vast artist roster and extensive networks for unprecedented synergies ahead. We are thrilled to partner with power players who were critical in the creation and success of One Direction, and together we are aiming to find that next global sensation.”
Dawn Airey, Co-Founder, Moon&Back said, “Take one of the world’s best entertainment producers and combine it with the world’s best K-pop producer and watch the magic unfold. This is a global first, creating a British boy band and exposing them to the wonders and rigours of the premier K-pop process with SM Entertainment. This alchemy will create compelling television and a boy band that will entertain the world. “
Jon Creamer
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