Malaysia Set For US$22 Mln Co-productions With Australia, South Korea

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is set to tap international opportunities in the creative industry through two co-production projects with industry partners in Australia and South Korea worth a combined US$22 million (about RM89.7 million) over the next two years.

Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the collaboration, spearheaded by OMG Studios, would involve Australia’s Madman Entertainment and South Korea’s Greenpatch Studio.

He said the collaboration would comprise two key projects, namely a Malaysia-Australia film and television production worth US$10 million and a Malaysia-South Korea feature film worth US$12 million.

“Over the next two years, the two projects will be developed and produced, with a combined value of US$22 million,” he told a press conference after officiating the KL20 @ Johor 2026: The Orange Economy Chapter - Creativity Reimagined event at Iskandar Malaysia Studios (IMS) here today.

Akmal Nasrullah said the collaboration was expected to create more opportunities for local talent, vendors, studios and intellectual property (IP) owners to participate in international productions.

He said the partnership could also help position the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) as a regional hub for international content, virtual production, generative artificial intelligence (AI) and creative technologies.

Akmal Nasrullah said Johor’s proximity to Singapore, as well as its robust industrial and digital infrastructure and strong regional networks, gave the state an advantage in positioning itself as a regional creative-industry hub.

According to him, the cultural and creative industries contributed 6.8 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), generating RM130.7 billion in gross value added in 2024.

In his speech, Akmal Nasrullah said Malaysia should move beyond producing creative content and focus on owning intellectual property (IP) with commercial potential for licensing, distribution and adaptation.

He said Malaysia must build a strong portfolio of characters, stories, formats, technologies and brands capable of generating sustained value.

Akmal Nasrullah added that the success of local works such as Upin & Ipin, Mechamato, Ejen Ali and BoBoiBoy demonstrated how Malaysian ideas could generate value through content, licensing, merchandise and market expansion.

--BERNAMA