Mediacorp forges ahead with three new script co-developments alongside renowned international creatives
Singapore, 4 December 2025 – Mediacorp today announced three new script co-development projects with regional creative powerhouses, showcasing the company’s growing ambitions and continued commitment to developing premium Asian stories that resonate with audiences around the world. Working closely with these partners, Mediacorp will co-develop and shape the scripts from concept to screen, blending creative perspectives to bring authentic and globally appealing Asian narratives to life.
Supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), these projects include Korean-language title Orange Boy from the North, as well as the Chinese-language titles The Penrose Trap (回环), and Voyage Unknown (玩美邮轮假期). Together, they spotlight Mediacorp’s ambition to collaborate across borders, languages, and genres, joining hands with celebrated writers and production houses to develop original stories with universal resonance.
The slate, which comprises a total of three script development projects, represents a vibrant cross-section of Asian creativity. Collectively, they traverse romance, suspense, and drama, each showcasing distinctive storytelling voices united by shared themes of identity, discovery, and transformation.
Orange Boy from the North
Borne from Mediacorp’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with leading Korean production company Mr. Romance (creator of Lightshop and Moving) in May this year, Orange Boy from the North is set to bring together two creative cultures in a heartfelt exploration of youth, identity, and love across borders.
Written by acclaimed Korean screenwriter Shin Yu Dam, best known for the hit series Marry My Husband and Awaken , this high-teen romance and coming-of-age drama tells the story of a privileged North Korean boy and a humble South Korean girl who meet in Singapore, where their unlikely relationship blossoms. As their worlds collide in a city that bridges both freedom and restraint, the story unfolds as a tender yet unconventional love tale that challenges ideologies and unites humanity through shared emotion.
Visually rich and emotionally layered, Orange Boy from the North combines Mr. Romance’s signature cinematic storytelling with Mediacorp’s vision to create stories that speak to audiences across languages and cultures — a contemporary love story where boundaries blur, and hearts find common ground.
The Penrose Trap 《回环》
From renowned screenwriter and producer Gary Tang 邓特希, the acclaimed storyteller behind classics such as The File of Justice《壹號皇庭》and Healing Hands《妙手仁心》, comes The Penrose Trap, a gripping crime-fantasy thriller.
A master of high-concept drama and moral complexity, Tang crafts a haunting, multi-season narrative about justice, memory, and redemption. The Penrose Trap follows a journalist and a young woman who, a decade after a family tragedy, reopen the unsolved case that once shattered their town. As their search for truth spirals across time, they encounter unexpected allies and enemies, and uncover hidden loyalties and buried sins that bind their fates in unforeseen ways
Blending the stylistic precision of Hong Kong’s thrillers with a bold mix of crime and fantasy, The Penrose Trap delivers a distinctive take on the modern Asian suspense drama.
Voyage Unknown 《玩美邮轮假期》
The third script co-development, Voyage Unknown, brings together Mediacorp and Lau Kok Rui 刘国瑞, the award-winning writer-director whose feature film The Sunny Side of the Street 《白日青春》 earned six Taipei Golden Horse nominations, four Hong Kong Film Award nominations, and won both Best New Director and Best Original Screenplay at the Golden Horse Awards.
Set abroad a luxury cruise liner, Voyage Unknown is a multi-layered drama that explores desire, loss and the choices that define us. On the Nebula’s grand maiden voyage to Busan, Korea, three generations of a family board Southeast Asia’s largest cruise, each harbouring their own private mission. Over twelve days in the sealed world of the ship, hidden tensions surface, desires collide, and long-buried secrets unravel. As relationships collapse under the weight of ambition, the passengers discover that only by surrendering what they once greedily desired can they salvage what truly matters.
Together, these three projects reflect Mediacorp’s dedication to nurturing creative collaborations that celebrate Asia’s rich storytelling diversity while appealing to wider global audiences. Spanning Korean and Chinese languages, they represent a new era of cross-border co-creation, positioning Singapore as a vibrant hub for creative exchanges and entertainment innovation.
Virginia Lim, Chief Content Officer, said, “These new co-development projects reflect our ongoing collaboration with creative teams across the region. Working with partners beyond Singapore brings fresh perspectives and strengthens the relationships we’ve built across Asia. Each project is an opportunity to tell stories that highlight the diversity and richness of Asian cultures.”
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Amanda Chew
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