According to Variety, producer Lynda Obst (Interstellar, Hope Floats), and Miky Lee (executive producer of Parasite) have joined forces to explore the Korean music wave in the global film industry. News has just circulated that they will produce K-Pop: Lost in America, a feature-length road movie to be released in 2023.

CJ ENM production has brought in JK Youn, director of two of the biggest Korean movies in history, to lead the project. His credits include the disaster action movie Haeundae in 2009 and the melodrama Ode to My Father in 2014. Youn was the first person to direct two films that each scored 10 million admissions, the mark of a mega-blockbuster, at the Korean box office. 

Lost in America centers on a K-pop boy group that unintentionally lands in Texas with only two days left until their global debut in New York. With no money and little time, they have to find a way to New York to perform on their dream stage. 

Variety quotes Youn, who says, “We plan to cast K-pop stars in addition to icons in the pop industry to appeal to a global audience.” Casting will begin immediately in Seoul and the pre-production stage of the film will kick off once auditions are completed in August. 

Obst, who produced How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and One Fine Day and executive produced Sleepless in Seattle and Contact, said that Lost in America is a “passion project”, drawing on her love for K-Pop.

“K-Pop and K-culture have never been more in-demand. Combining CJ ENM’s globally recognized production capabilities with the brilliant minds of smash-hit creators Lynda Obst and JK Youn, we have no doubt that we will be able to showcase a very special movie that will appeal to a global audience and K-Pop fans alike,” said Lee, CJ’s vice chairwoman.

Lee has been a powerful figure in the Korean entertainment scene for over 25 years as the co-founder of film distributor and producer CJ Entertainment and an early-stage investor in DreamWorks SKG. CJ ENM has grown to encompass movies, TV drama, and music. Lee’s production credits also include Snowpiercer and The Handmaiden. 

CJ also announced plans to become a global hub for entertainment. Expansion of its international production activities is expected, currently having 40 global films and TV shows on the horizon and international development of its TV SVOD streaming service.