iWorld
Hooq unveils three Asian original productions
MUMBAI: Hooq will be doubling down on local Asian stories, making a bold move into original content across the region.
Hooq will be announcing five all-new Asian originals, adding to its already comprehensive Asian catalogue. These five new projects, which will be announced at APOS this week, from across the region and take the form of three movies, a multi-episode series along with five pilots. The projects also transcend genre with romance, comedy and drama.
“There is a huge thirst for high quality, unique Asian stories, told from an Asian perspective. We aim to satisfy this with Hooq Originals on our platform. These four new Hooq Originals are going to whet your binge-watching appetite for drama, romance and comedies. This is just the beginning of a lot more exciting Asian originals to keep you Hooq’d. We will continue to push boundaries, to evolve and stay committed to delivering unique, compelling and edgy Asian stories to our millions of Hooq customers,” said Hooq chief executive officer Peter Bithos.
These four new original productions come on the back of Hooq and Globe Studios’ first highly anticipated original production On The Job – the pilot of which will now be released as a full-length movie followed by a 5-episode series forming Season 1. Directed by Erik Matti and co-produced with Reality Entertainment, this thrilling drama of crime, deceit and struggles touch scarily close to the hearts of the current underbelly deep in Filipino societal issues. The full-length feature film is slated for release in August 2017 followed six weeks later by the rest of season 1.
‘The T Party’
The second Filipino original production from Hooq, codenamed ‘The T Party’, centres around today’s modern story of finding love on an online dating app aims to delight and entertain with its sexy, steamy yet funny romances. The development of an eight-episode series is now underway with top directors in the romcom genre including Joyce Bernal, as well as Marvin Agustin in his directorial debut. Each episode will revolve around intertwining stories based on finding love (or otherwise) through a popular dating app. It will be, in most ways, an unofficial guide, and a scandalous expose on the merry world of online dating, as navigated by an insider. This series is scheduled to debut exclusively on Hooq in the late 2017.
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts
Hooq’s first Indonesian original, “Marlina The Murderer in Four Acts” has been selected at the Director’s Fortnight session at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Marlina is Hooq’s first venture into Indonesian production. Hooq has chosen to co-produce this film with award-winning Indonesian film- maker Mouly Surya and producers Rama Adi and Fauzan Zidni. The film is a co-production between Cinesurya and Kaninga Pictures, Sasha and Co Production, Astro Shaw, Hooq and Purin Pictures. Marlina tells a story of a young widow of the Indonesian hills of the Island of Sumba. Attacked and robbed by a gang of local men, Marlina exacts revenge on the entire gang. The next day, she commences a journey for justice, empowerment and redemption. But her road is long, especially when the ghost of her headless victim decides to haunt her. This is the first Indonesian film to have been selected at Directors’ Fortnight session and the fourth ever selected in Cannes. Marlina is targeted to hit the big screens towards the end of 2017.
Sweet 20
In partnership with Starvision and CJ Entertainment, directed by Ody C. Harahap, Sweet 20 is an adaptation from a best-selling Korean movie called Miss Granny. This remake of the Korean comedy tells the story of a 70-year old grandmother, Fatmawati who was transported back to her youth as a 20-year old and becomes a star. However an event occurs where she has to make the difficult decision to remain in her new life or return to being a 70-year old in order to save the life of her grandson. Sweet 20 is slated to hit the big screens in Indonesia this June.
The fourth and fifth Hooq Original will be announced later this week during APOS.
iWorld
Warner Chappell Music launches India ops, Jay Mehta to lead unit
WMG shifts to direct model, unifying publishing and recorded music
MUMBAI: Warner Chappell Music has officially launched direct operations in India, marking a strategic shift by parent Warner Music Group to deepen its presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing music markets.
The move replaces the company’s earlier sub-publishing model with a full-fledged, on-ground operation, aimed at giving Indian songwriters stronger access to global networks, rights management tools, and creative infrastructure.
To lead the push, Jay Mehta has been handed an expanded mandate. Already serving as managing director of Warner Music India, Mehta will now oversee both recorded music and publishing across India and neighbouring South Asian markets, effectively bringing the two sides of the business under one roof.
The unified structure is designed to streamline how artists and songwriters work with the company, offering a more integrated ecosystem that spans compositions, recordings, and global distribution.
Warner Music Group managing director, recorded music and publishing, India and SAARC Jay Mehta said, “India’s songwriters are world-class, constantly redefining genres and pushing creative boundaries. By establishing a direct footprint for Warner Chappell, we’re bridging the gap between local brilliance and global opportunity.”
The timing is no coincidence. According to CISAC, creator collections in India jumped 42 per cent year-on-year to Rs 7 billion in 2024, while IFPI ranks India as the 15th largest recorded music market globally. At the same time, the industry is undergoing a structural shift, with independent and non-film music gaining ground over traditional Bollywood soundtracks.
Warner’s bet is that a direct presence will help it capture this changing dynamic. The company is also offering India-based creators access to its proprietary tools, including AI-powered royalty matching systems and real-time analytics platforms, aimed at improving transparency and earnings visibility.
Warner Chappell Music co-chair and CEO Guy Moot said the move is about shaping a publishing ecosystem that “works for creators and ensures their music is heard, protected, and rewarded everywhere.”
Meanwhile, Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl underlined India’s importance to the company’s global strategy, noting that the new structure creates a “unified powerhouse” for both creators and audiences.
With local studios, global reach, and tighter integration across its business lines, Warner is clearly doubling down on India. And as streaming habits evolve and independent music rises, the company is positioning itself to be not just a participant, but a key architect of the country’s next music chapter.
