Viu to produce 70 originals in 2018

Viu to produce 70 originals in 2018

Janice Lee

MUMBAI: The pan-Asian OTT platform Viu will see 70 titles and over 900 episodes of locally produced content by the end of this year. Produced in Indian, Chinese, Indonesian and Arabic languages, Viu Original spans the full spectrum of TV content genres and has extended its production scope to movies. Since the beginning of 2018, OTT platforms in India are boosting their original content.

“With the evolution of OTT streaming service and consumers adoption, quality content with strong relevance is the key to our continued high engagement with viewers. Viu aims to introduce the refreshing local productions in various markets, including Spotlight 2 produced by Bollywood director Vikram Bhatt, and Kenapa Harus Bule? by award-winning Indonesian director Andri Cune. Our latest Viu Original series development of The Bridge, a popular international TV series, will be remade with Asia context and filmed in Singapore and Malaysia. By working with top tier local talents and production houses, we fulfil our brand promise to provide Viu-ers with compelling localised entertainment,” PCCW Media Group managing director Janice Lee said.

Viu not only works with top award-winning directors and production talent in the markets, but also employs highly innovative ways to come up with new ideas for its originals. Viu ‘crowd sources’ Viu Original ideas in an event called Viu Pitching Forum in Indonesia, where young filmmakers are encouraged to pitch their ideas before a team of renowned experts, including award- winning producers, directors and scriptwriters. Viu will fund shortlisted ideas and collaborate with professional filmmakers to produce them for airing.

“We are encouraged by the overwhelming positive response from viewers for Viu Original and we will continue to create many more fresh and engaging originals tailored to ourmillennial Viu-ers. We are especially proud to provide a platform for young talent in local markets to showcase their creativity and gain popularity among our viewers,” Lee added.

Viu Original has recently launched a foray of full feature movies. High Jack, which is co-produced with award-winning Phantom Films in India, is scheduled to be screened in 450 Indian theatres followed by viewing on the Viu platform. Working alongside its broadcast partners, Viu aims to bring Original to free-to-air and pay-TV audience around the world. Viu has collaborated with Zoom TV – a Bollywood pay-TV channel and Gemini TV - a pay-TV channel owned by Sun Network, to deliver its original content in India.

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Viu announces the launch of its latest Original, 'Love, Lust and Confusion'

Viu and Phantom films join hands for its upcoming movie 'High Jack'