“Beef” creator Lee Sung Jin has established a new production company, Lila Pictures, under his recently-renewed overall deal with Netflix. The creator has set up two new TV projects for development with the streamer under this new banner.
Lee has hired Hyunji Ward to serve as senior VP of Film & Television for Lila Pictures. Ward previously worked at UTA and Dakota Johnson’s TeaTime Pictures.
The first project is a limited drama titled “The Only Child,” which will star Ali Wong. Wong, who worked with Lee on the first season of “Beef,” will also serve as a producer. Ava Wong Davies is set to write the project. In the drama, Wong will portray the mother of a professional archer who is preparing to compete for her first gold medal.
The second project is a drama series titled “Citizen’s Arrest,” created by Gene Hong. Hong served as a writer and producer on “Beef” Season 2. According to the logline, the series follows “two longtime friends and neighbors whose obsession with solving a local crime becomes an escape from the private crises neither is ready to face.”
“I’m excited to launch Lila Pictures with the support of my creative home at Netflix and the help of Hyunji Ward, our new SVP of Film and TV,” Lee said. He added, “In Sanskrit, lila can be interpreted as ‘the divine play,’ and I’m grateful to reflect that through film and television, alongside close friends and collaborators like Ali Wong and Gene Hong. This is just the beginning. There will also be merch.”
The original “Beef” debuted in 2023 and became one of the year's most celebrated shows. Netflix reported that the series was in the Global top 10 for five weeks and reached the Top 10 in 87 countries. The show received 13 Emmy nominations, including nods for best limited series, best actor and actress in a limited series for Wong and Steven Yeun, and best writing for a limited series. Across both seasons, the show has received 29 Emmy nominations with 11 wins.
Lee earned nominations for writing and directing, becoming the first Asian creator to secure multiple Emmy nominations across writing, directing and producing categories for the same series. His recent credits include writing the script for “X-Men” alongside Joanna Calo, as well as shows such as “Dave,” “Tuca & Bertie,” “Silicon Valley,” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Lee is represented by WME and Hansen Jacobson.
