Studio Mentality Informs Asian Expansion Strategy at China’s Linmon Media, Says Zhou Yuan: ‘English Is the Working Language’
variety.comPatrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief China’s Linmon Media celebrated its tenth anniversary this week by unveiling 16 new shows for its 2024 production and release slate.
The roster included seven Chinese period drama series, five contemporary shows and two more being made in Thailand. “We are not just a producer, we are a studio,” Zhou Yuan, co-founder and EVP of Linmon, told Variety on the sidelines of the company’s predominantly English-language presentation at the Asia Television Forum & Market in Singapore. “English, not Chinese, is the working language of our international division.” The company, which floated on the Hong Kong Stock Market in 2022, previously saw third party companies distribute its rights in overseas markets.
But, three years ago, it brought sales in-house as it reached the volume and scale of production to make it worthwhile and as the company expanded its production into ex-Chinese territories. “Almost every project in today’s presentation is made in collaboration with one Chinese online platform or another.
But we only license our Chinese rights and get them back after a period of time. And for the rights outside of mainland China, we are similarly the owner,” said Zhou.
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