Lee Sung Jin has launched Lila Pictures and set two television projects for development at Netflix under his renewed overall deal. Variety reported that the Beef creator is working again with Ali Wong and Gene Hong while building the new company's team.
Two fictional stories enter development
The Only Child is a limited drama written by Ava Wong Davies. Wong will star and produce, continuing her collaboration with Lee after Beef's first season.
She plays the mother of a professional archer preparing to compete for a first gold medal. The project forms one strand of the new company's initial development slate.
Citizen's Arrest is created by Gene Hong, a writer and producer on Beef's second season. It follows two longtime friends and neighbours whose fixation on solving a local crime becomes an escape from personal crises.
New company builds on existing collaborators
Hyunji Ward joins Lila Pictures as senior vice-president of film and television. She previously worked at UTA and Dakota Johnson's TeaTime Pictures.
Lee said the company would develop film and television alongside close collaborators. He connected its name with the Sanskrit idea of divine play.
Beef debuted in 2023. Netflix figures cited by Variety put its first season in the Global Top 10 for five weeks and in national Top 10 lists across 87 countries. Across two seasons it has received 29 Emmy nominations and 11 wins.
Lila Pictures now continues development of the two projects through the Netflix partnership, joining familiar creative collaborators with new company leadership.