Barunson E&A, the production company behind Oscar-winner Parasite, is set to officially launch its new international ventures at the upcoming American Film Market as it looks to expand into co-production, financing and sales.
The company’s global operations will be divided into a sales division and a co-production & financing division. The inaugural lineup includes three films and a reality TV project that features a quintet of K-pop idols (see below).
Yoonhee Choi will oversee all Korean and international operations as Managing Director, and Sylvie Eunyoung Kim will manage the global business as Head of International Division.
Formerly at CJ ENM, Choi led the overseas distribution of numerous Korean and global productions including Parasite, The Handmaiden and The Spy Gone North, as well as producing 2021’s Seo Bok, Hard Hit and Nothing Serious.
Formerly at K-Movie Entertainment, Kim spearheaded overseas distribution of such titles as The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, which Paramount is remaking; Spiritwalker, to be remade by Lorenzo di Bonaventura; and Korea’s highest grossing film of 2022, The Roundup.
Barunson E&A’s slate also includes the next two features from Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho, as well as projects from directors Kim Sung-hoon (Kingdom, A Hard Day), Kim Jee-woon (The Good, the Bad, the Weird, The Age of Shadows, Dr. Brain), Lee Yong-ju (Seo Bok, Architecture 101); and writer Moon Ji-won of Netflix smash Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
Moving forward, the company says its sales lineup aims to represent creative and daring projects from across the world, while its co-production and financing operations aspire to produce globally successful content with world-renowned talent, placing no restrictions on film or serial format, scale, genre, location and language.
Here’s what’s on deck to be shown off at the AFM:
Nocturnal: A gritty mystery action produced by Sanai Pictures, the producers of Hunt and The Spy Gone North
Honeysweet: A romantic comedy written by director Lee Byung-hun of Extreme Job, Korea’s 2nd highest grossing film
Love Reset: A quirky romantic comedy about a couple losing their memories in the midst of a divorce
Birdie Boys: An unscripted golf & travel reality show starring five K-Pop idols, Leeteuk and Shindong of Super Junior; Nichkhun of 2PM, Baek-Ho of Nu’Est and Min-Hyuk Kang of CNBLUE