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Press Release | 2026.08.28
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From Original IP to Remake Rights
Busan Story Market 2026 Unveils
Nine Additional Titles
from Thailand and Hong Kong
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- New Remake IP section launches amid Asia’s remake boom, introducing five feature films from Thailand, this year’s Country of Honor
- Three Hong Kong animated shorts and one comic explore expansion into series, feature-length animation, and digital content
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Busan Story Market (BSM) has unveiled nine additional titles: five Thai titles in its new Remake IP lineup and four Hong Kong IP selections. BSM is operated by the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), the official market of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). The titles will be presented to domestic and international film and audiovisual industry professionals at Busan Story Market 2026. The event will take place from October 10 to 13 at Exhibition Center 2, BEXCO in Busan.
Launched in 2012 as Book to Film and later evolving through the E-IP Market, BSM has grown into a comprehensive IP marketplace. It has connected the film and audiovisual industries with original IP offering strong adaptation potential, including books, webtoons, web novels, video games, and stories. Following its earlier announcement of 25 official selections from Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Indonesia, BSM will present four additional Hong Kong IP titles and introduce a new Remake IP section covering the rights to remake completed films. The section will feature five remake IP titles from Thailand, this year’s Country of Honor.
As remakes continue to achieve box-office success across Asia, the localization potential of proven stories has emerged as a key industry issue. The newly established Remake IP section is expected to draw strong interest from participating production companies, investors, and distributors.
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Five Feature Films from Thailand, This Year’s Country of Honor
Seek New Production Partners through Remake IP
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The inaugural Remake IP lineup comprises five feature films from Thailand, showcasing some of Asia’s most inventive genre storytelling. With government support, Thailand is strengthening its content industry ecosystem and infrastructure while expanding the international reach of Thai content. As part of the Country of Honor program, BSM will spotlight works rooted in Thai culture and explore opportunities for remake rights deals and new production partnerships.
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▲ (From left) Congrats My Ex!, Happy Monday(s), HOME FOR RENT, Midnight Incense, My Boo
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The five titles each present a distinct concept with remake potential. Midnight Incense is a horror mystery built around the midnight incense ritual. Its emotionally psychological horror aligns well with global demand for Asian occult narratives. Happy Monday(s) is a coming-of-age comedy about a teenager trapped in a time loop who helps a friend he likes get through an exam. It offers a localization model based on a globally proven format. Home for Rent follows a series of strange events that unfold around a family after a new tenant moves in, tapping into anxieties rooted in everyday life. My Boo blends horror and romance in the story of a gamer who inherits an old house and forms both a business partnership and a romantic bond with the ghost who remains there. Congrats My Ex! is a romantic comedy about a wedding planner on the brink of bankruptcy who takes on her ex-boyfriend’s Indian wedding. The film draws on marriage, a universal theme that lends itself to varied interpretations across cultures.
The Thai Remake IP pitching session will be held on October 10 as part of BSM Pitch & Match - Thai Remake IP. From October 11 to 13, the five titles will take part in business meetings with domestic and international film industry professionals to discuss remake rights deals and opportunities for international co-production. Online Screenings of the Remake IP titles are also planned.
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*Titles in alphabetical order
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Hong Kong’s Cultural Identity and New Visual Narratives
Four CCIDA-Selected IP Titles Join Busan Story Market
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The official Hong Kong IP selections comprise three animated shorts and one comic selected by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA). Hong Kong is working to bring local creative works to international markets, while CCIDA is strengthening the industry’s foundation, from discovering and incubating promising projects to content development and global distribution. Rooted in Hong Kong's signature East-meets-West fusion of traditional heritage and futuristic concepts, the selections range from culinary battles, futuristic AI detective thriller, cyber-wuxia action and deep psychological drama. The projects will explore opportunities to expand into animated series, feature-length animation, IP merchandise, and digital entertainment.
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▲ (From left) Blacky the Metal Arm Cat, Cirkillation, Disposable Dolly, Tai Lung Fung – Full Throttle Kitchen
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Blacky the Metal Arm Cat combines drama and action in a story about a warrior who loses his place to alien technology and learns self-acceptance. Its expansive worldbuilding gives it strong potential for an animated series. Cirkillation is a suspense drama in which memories of loss turn into obsession. Its combination of emotional storytelling and psychological thriller elements suggests strong potential as a series for global streaming platforms. Tai Lung Fung – Full Throttle Kitchen follows a protagonist trying to save the family restaurant from closure, combining cuisine, family, and fantasy. Disposable Dolly is a comic about a disposable AI detective and a human assistant investigating a series of murders. It is a high-concept work that taps into current AI and science-fiction trends through the mystery genre. The distinctive aesthetics and narrative sensibility of Hong Kong animation give the lineup strong potential for expansion into series, feature-length works, and digital content.
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*Titles in alphabetical order
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Including the four newly announced Hong Kong IP titles, BSM’s 29 official selections will connect with domestic and international film and audiovisual industry professionals through business meetings held from October 10 to 13. These meetings will provide opportunities to assess each work’s potential for production and explore further development, adaptation, and expansion across media.
ACFM is the official market of the BIFF and is held in Busan every October. At its 20th edition in 2025, 1,222 companies and 3,024 industry professionals from 55 countries registered, while total on-site attendance reached 30,006, marking the largest edition in ACFM’s history. The Sales Market recorded 8,438 business meetings, with an estimated transaction value of USD 71.16 million.
The 2026 Asian Contents & Film Market will be held from October 10 to 13 at Exhibition Center 2, BEXCO in Busan.
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▶31st Busan International Film Festival: Oct 6 (Tue) – Oct 15 (Thu)
▶21st Asian Contents & Film Market: Oct 10 (Sat) – Oct 13 (Tue)
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