US$22M film and TV slate links Malaysia with Australia, Singapore and South Korea

Malaysia unveiled a US$22 million slate of international film and television co-productions at KL20@Johor 2026 in Iskandar Puteri, positioning Johor as a regional hub for content, virtual production and creative technology. The projects are set to run over the next two years and connect studios in Malaysia with partners in Australia and South Korea.

Why it matters: - The US$22 million slate is designed to pull more international production work into Malaysia while giving local talent, vendors and rights holders a bigger role in global content. - The announcement also strengthens Johor's pitch as a regional base for virtual production, generative AI and creative technology. - The projects move beyond service work and toward intellectual property ownership that can be licensed and monetized internationally.

What happened: - Malaysia's Minister of Economy, YB Tuan Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, announced the slate at KL20@Johor 2026: The Orange Economy Chapter, "Creativity Reimagined," at Iskandar Malaysia Studios on 29 September 2026. - The slate covers a US$10 million Malaysia-Australia film and television package and a US$12 million Malaysia-South Korea feature film package. - The projects will be developed and produced over the next two years. - OMG Studios is leading the collaboration with Australia's Sandpiper Entertainment, South Korea's Greenfish Studio and other regional studios.

The details: - The minister said the collaboration will create opportunities for Malaysian talent, vendors, studios and intellectual property owners to join international productions. - Johor's proximity to Singapore, industrial and digital infrastructure, regional connectivity and the capabilities around Iskandar Malaysia Studios were cited as key advantages for the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. - The JS-SEZ is positioned to connect Malaysian creative companies with regional capital, production networks, technology partners and international buyers. - The VP Studio at IMS is the result of a partnership between IMS and OMG Studios. - The facility combines IMS's soundstage with integrated virtual production capabilities. - The studio includes one of Southeast Asia's largest LED volume soundstages, with a full-scale LED volume plus sky and side panels. - The venue is built for film, commercial and broadcast productions. - Guests saw two live virtual production showcases during the event. - OMG Studios also presented its hybrid filmmaking approach, which combines virtual production, AI and practical filmmaking in one pipeline. - The US$10 million Australia slate starts with the live-action feature Amber Fang. - That slate also builds on OMG Studios's work with Curtin University. - The partnership follows the virtual production studio launched at Curtin's Perth campus in September 2026. - The three partners are linking production, technology and education across Australia, Malaysia and Singapore. - The South Korea-Malaysia slate is a new feature-film partnership between OMG Studios and Greenfish Studio. - The first project in that slate will be a psychological thriller produced using AI-powered virtual production. - Further details on that title will be announced later. - The Korean collaboration combines OMG's creative and technology capabilities, Greenfish Studio's feature-film experience and the VP infrastructure at IMS. - The project is expected to open the door to more Korean co-productions and bring more Korean content to international audiences.

Between the lines: - The event signaled a broader effort to turn Johor into a creative-economy gateway rather than only a production location. - The mix of government backing, studio infrastructure and university links suggests Malaysia is trying to build a longer-term screen industry ecosystem, not just secure single projects. - The emphasis on AI and virtual production reflects how regional studios are trying to compete on speed, scale and cross-border collaboration.

What's next: - The Malaysia-Australia and Malaysia-South Korea slates will move into development and production over the next two years. - The unnamed South Korea-Malaysia thriller will receive more details later. - The collaborations are likely to be used as a platform for more regional co-productions, especially with Australian and Korean partners. - KL20@Johor's panels, showcases and networking may help convert the event's industry conversations into future deals.

The bottom line: - Malaysia is using a high-value co-production slate and new virtual production infrastructure to position Johor as a regional screen-industry hub with global reach.