Documentary in the works about Lee Soo-man, founder of ‘big four’ K-pop agency SM Entertainment
A new documentary is in the works about Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment, one of the ‘big four’ agencies of K-pop.
On November 28, Deadline reported that production for Lee Soo Man: The King of K-pop, a documentary about the life of the 70-year-old entertainment executive and record producer, is currently underway at Amazon Prime Video.
According to Amazon Studios, the upcoming project will chronicle “the enthralling life of a bold visionary whose work put his country on the map, sparked a global movement, and continues to define an era.”
“A futurist and visionary on the scale of Steve Jobs, Lee is more than a music impresario. He is a world-builder and a technologist whose original creation has taken over global entertainment, one K-Pop band at a time,” it said.
While Amazon Studios has yet to announce its premiere date, Lee Soo Man: The King of K-pop will be available to stream via Prime Video once it is released.
The forthcoming documentary will be helmed by filmmaker Ting Poo, who co-directed the 2021 Prime Video documentary Val about American actor Val Kilmer. “Lee Soo-man is a modern-day Willy Wonka whose story will resonate with dreamers everywhere,” said Poo, who described Lee “one of the most influential creators of our time.”
“We are thrilled to reunite with Ting Poo to capture Lee Soo-man’s dynamic career and undeniable influence on K-Pop and the music industry as a whole,” Brianna Oh, the head of documentary features at Amazon Studios, shared in a press statement.
SM Entertainment is one of the largest entertainment companies in South Korea today, housing acts like Super Junior, Red Velvet, NCT and aespa. Lee founded the agency in 1989, which in the ’90s launched a string of successful first-generation K-pop acts like H.O.T, Shinhwa and BoA.
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Gladys Yeo
NME
