Hollywood Wants Asian Stories, But 'Every Movie Is Still a Fight'

Lionsgate president of international Helen Lee-Kim told executives at the Busan International Film Festival's Asian Contents & Film Market that despite Hollywood's broadened appetite for Asian stories, "every movie is still a fight."

Lee-Kim spoke on the panel "UTA × Gold House: Hollywood & The Asian Diaspora," moderated by Variety's Asia Editor Naman Ramachandran. The session brought together representatives from Lionsgate, UTA, Gold House Studios, Hybe America Studios and East West Bank to examine how Asian stories can reach wider audiences without losing their cultural identity.

What changed after the pandemic?

Lee-Kim argued that pandemic-era viewing, despite the disruption COVID brought to the industry, exposed audiences to films across languages and made language less of a barrier. Asian content can now attract viewers beyond Asia, she said — provided the concept stays central to its commercial appeal.

She pointed to "Karoshi," the action thriller starring Teo Yoo and directed by Takashi Doscher, as a model for bringing Asian talent into Hollywood filmmaking. Even so, such projects still require studios and distributors to take individual creative bets, she said.

UTA's David Park cited "Parasite" and "Squid Game" as breakthroughs that demonstrated possibilities once difficult to imagine. Their success has expanded the routes available to Asian filmmakers beyond moving to Hollywood and working in English, he said.

Discussing Na Hong-Jin's Korean project "Hope," Park highlighted its ambition, original concept and global genre appeal, with Asian actors in leading roles alongside international stars.

Park also cited "Past Lives" and "Tokyo Vice" as examples of multicultural storytelling grounded in particular experiences. He said he wants more such collaborations to develop organically, and cautioned against allowing calculations about global audiences to dictate the work.

Where is the money coming from?

East West Bank executive vice president Bennett Pozil, who financed "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," pointed to growing investment activity across Southeast Asia. He cited:

• The Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) as an example of funding channeled directly into the industry
• Co-production investments in Singapore
• Co-production investments in Thailand

His view on cross-border storytelling was shared across the panel, as multilingual and multicultural filmmaking opens more paths to audiences.

What do studios want from creators?

Christine Yi, president of Gold House Studios, said the company is looking across genres, without a prescribed category. What matters is originality and a human, subjective perspective, she said. Its interest in new voices does not require creators to compromise or deliberately internationalize their material.

Hybe America Studios president James Shin emphasized collaboration with artists and Korean creative teams as the company builds its film and television business. Discussing "K-Pop: The Debut," he stressed working across cultures through creative partnerships.

Pozil closed with the panel's clearest directive for creators pitching Asian stories to Hollywood financiers. "Don't force anything," he said. "It has to be authentic." The consensus in Busan suggests the money and the appetite are now in place — but authenticity, not calculation, will decide which projects get made.