'Beef' Creator Lee Sung Jin Launches Lila Pictures With Two Netflix Projects

By Elena Vasquez

Lee Sung Jin, creator of "Beef," has set up two new television projects at Netflix under his newly launched production company, Lila Pictures. The company operates under his recently renewed overall deal with the streamer, and its first development slate pairs him with two "Beef" alumni: Ali Wong and Gene Hong.

Lee has also hired Hyunji Ward as senior VP of Film & Television for Lila Pictures. Ward previously worked at UTA and at Dakota Johnson's TeaTime Pictures. The takeaway: Lila Pictures launches with a slate, a executive hire and a Netflix deal already in place.

What is 'The Only Child'?

The first project is the limited drama "The Only Child," starring Ali Wong, who worked with Lee on the first season of "Beef." Ava Wong Davies will write the series. Wong will produce in addition to starring.

Wong will play the mother of a professional archer preparing to compete for her first gold medal. No premiere date has been announced.

What is 'Citizen's Arrest'?

The second project is the drama series "Citizen's Arrest," created by Gene Hong, a writer and producer on "Beef" Season 2. Per the logline, the series follows "two longtime friends and neighbors whose obsession with solving a local crime becomes an escape from the private crises neither is ready to face."

What did Lee say about the launch?

"I'm excited to launch Lila Pictures with the support of my creative home at Netflix and the help of Hyunji Ward, our new SVP of Film and TV," Lee said.

He also explained the company's name: "In Sanskrit, lila can be interpreted as 'the divine play,' and I'm grateful to reflect that through film and television, alongside close friends and collaborators like Ali Wong and Gene Hong. This is just the beginning. There will also be merch."

How strong is the 'Beef' track record?

The numbers behind the deal are substantial. "Beef" debuted in 2023 and, per Netflix, stayed in the Global top 10 for five weeks and reached the Top 10 in 87 countries — meaning it charted in the vast majority of the markets Netflix tracks.

The show's awards record:

• 13 Emmy nominations for its first season, including best limited series, best actor and actress in a limited series for Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, and best writing for a limited series
• 29 Emmy nominations across both seasons, with 11 wins
• Lee earned nominations for writing and directing, becoming the first Asian creator to secure multiple Emmy nominations across writing, directing and producing categories for the same series

In plain words: "Beef" gave Netflix a proven awards engine, and the streamer has now locked in its creator with a renewed overall deal.

What else has Lee written?

Lee most recently wrote the script for "X-Men" alongside Joanna Calo. His other credits include "Dave," "Tuca & Bertie," "Silicon Valley" and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." He is repped by WME and Hansen Jacobson.

With both new projects in development and Ward hired to run film and television, Lila Pictures enters its first year with a slate, a name and a merch tease from its founder.