Squid Game star Lee Jung Jae's agency teams up with UK studio for Secret Idol: All we know about K-pop spy thriller

Pink Villa

26-05-2025

South Korea's Artist Company has entered into an ambitious creative partnership with the U.K.'s Imaginarium Productions. This newly announced collaboration, revealed on May 26, sets the stage for the production of Secret Idol. It is an innovative live-action film that seeks to merge the pulsating energy of the K-pop industry with the intense suspense of a global espionage thriller.
Founded by Korean film icons Lee Jung Jae and Jung Woo Sung, Artist Company has become a respected name in the Korean entertainment landscape. Long before Lee Jung Jae 's international breakout role in Squid Game, the studio had already been making waves as a talent-driven production house,
It represents a roster of top-tier Korean actors such as Kim Hye Yoon, Lim Ji Yeon, Park Hae Jin, Won Jin Ah, Choi Yi Hyun, among others. With this new international venture, the company takes a bold step into the global film market. This signals its intent to become a cross-border creative powerhouse.
The film at the heart of this partnership, Secret Idol, offers a unique and genre-defying premise. In this, a covert intelligence operative goes undercover as a K-pop trainee, immersing themselves in the hyper-competitive idol training system. At the same time, they pursue a high-stakes mission against a dangerous global crime syndicate. The story promises to bring high-octane action with plot twists. It will also provide a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the pressure-cooker world of K-pop, where stardom comes at a cost and appearances are everything.
What sets this project apart is not only its original concept but also the deep level of collaboration between the two production companies. Artist Company and Imaginarium Productions are working closely together from the earliest stages of development. They are co-creating the story, visual style, and production plan.
There is already talk of assembling an international cast, with interest in including both Korean and Western talent. Additionally, both companies are in discussions with potential global distributors and co-producers, aiming to give Secret Idol a truly international release.
Imaginarium Productions was co-founded in 2011 by performance-capture pioneer and actor-director Andy Serkis and producer Jonathan Cavendish. The studio's portfolio includes feature films like Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, The Ritual, as well as The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself. Currently, the company is in pre-production on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
Meanwhile, Secret Idol stands out as a project with the potential to break new ground. With its fresh concept, strong creative backing, and cross-continental collaboration, the film could serve as a cultural bridge between East and West. Fans of both K-pop and spy thrillers are already buzzing with anticipation. They are eager for more details as production ramps up.