MarketImaginus
Company Profile

Imaginus

Imaginus (Korean: 이매지너스) is a South Korean drama and film production company. It was established in December 2021 by Choi Jin-hee, the former CEO of Studio Dragon. Headquartered in Seoul, Imaginus has quickly become a prominent player in the entertainment industry, attracting significant investments from companies like J&Private Equity (J&PE) and Contentree JoongAng. The company is a creator collective that operates with multiple subsidiary labels and has produced notable projects like Coupang Play original series Cinderella at 2 AM, Disney+ original series Tempest, and Netflix original series Can This Love Be Translated?.

History
Imaginus was established on December 15, 2021 by Choi Jin-hee, former CEO of Studio Dragon, following her departure from her position in CJ ENM in November. Initially capitalized at , Imaginus attracted investment of from J&Private Equity (J&PE) on December 8. According to an industry official, J&PE's investment in Imaginus was made at a corporate value of around . It is said that the follow-up investment aims to increase the corporate value to . In August 2022, Choi, representing Imaginus, was recognized as one of "Korea's 100 female startup leaders" by Hankyung Geeks and Startup Alliance. The selection was based on factors such as cumulative investment amount, experience, and industry. The list showcased the top female startup representatives in 10 different industries, including Education, Fashion & Beauty, E-commerce, Finance & Insurance, Healthcare, Living & Space, Food Tech, Content & Social, Leisure & Travel, and Advertising & Marketing. Choi ranked first in the Content & Social category and 9th overall. Imaginus first work is Cinderella at 2 AM, a drama based on the web novel of the same name by Aigome. It depicts the love story of an ordinary woman who prioritizes protecting herself and a third-generation chaebol man who believes that protecting love is protecting himself. It was selected by KOCCA in April 2023 as one of the 27 projects to receive support from the '2023 Online Video Service (OTT) Specialized Content Production Support Project'. Studio Aljja was working on this project. Imaginus has upcoming projects in the pipeline. In development is melodrama Tempest, which is being produced by Showrunner and Studio AA. Prior to that, in March 2023, it was reported that director Kim Hee-won and writer Jeong Seo-kyeong, who previously collaborated on Little Woman, joined forces again for Tempest. Jun Ji-hyun being offered the female lead role opposite Gang Dong-won. Additionally, Trii Studio label is preparing for romantic comedy Can This Love Be Translated? created by the writer team led by the Hong sisters at Studio Sot, and directed by Yoo Young-eun. Imaginus received the 10 Million Dollar Export Tower Award at the 61st Trade Day in December 2024. Imaginus was one of eight companies that joined "Series on Board: Bangkok," which took place in Bangkok, Thailand from July 23rd to 24th. The event aimed to expand joint development and production in the Southeast Asian market. They networked with 36 major Thai broadcasting and online platforms. This event was part of the "Series on Board" events hosted by The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency. It was previously held in Seoul, Tokyo, and Osaka. In August 2025, it was reported that Imaginus has begun preparations for its initial public offering (IPO). According to industry sources, on September 3rd, Imaginus signed a lead underwriter contract with NH Investment & Securities last month at its headquarters. == Related company ==
Related company
Subsidiaries (Labels) In March 2024, Ryu Hyung-jin, the vice president of Imaginus, shared details about ten labels under Imaginus and their respective leaders in an exclusive interview with Cine21. The labels included: • Studio Sot () : Writer's studio led by the Hong Sisters • Showrunners () : A content production house that includes directors , Kim Hee-won, Choi Jeong-gyu, Song Kyung-hwa, and other creators. • Studio Aljja () : Director 's production house specializing in romantic comedies. • Studio AA () : Co-led by Gang Dong-won. • Trii Studio () : Led by producer , with director Lee Na-jeong and Lee Yoon-jung. • H House () : A mystery genre production house led by director , who is known for directing drama Warrior Baek Dong-soo, Pied Piper, Black, and Voice (Season 1). • About Film () : The production company behind the film Extreme Job, led by Kim Seong-hwan. • Studio PIC () : Led by ex-SLL Chief Producer (CP) Jo Jun-hyung. • Hips () • Sunny Park () : A short dramas-specialized production house, led by Joo Sun. Joint venture In the summer of 2023, Choi collaborated with Hwang Ji-young and Kim Hee-won to establish Studio Abit. Hwang Ji-young is a renowned entertainment show director, recognized for her work on MBC's I Live Alone from 2017 to 2021, which earned her accolades such as the 2018 Korean Broadcasting Awards Producer Award and the 2020 MBC Special Achievement Award. Her last MBC project was With the Silk of Dohpo Flying in Denmark. Hwang oversees the entertainment department at Studio Abit, while director Kim Hee-won, known for directing Little Women and Vincenzo, oversees the drama department. Studio Abit was established as a joint venture between Imaginus and Innocean, an advertising production house affiliated with Hyundai Motor. Shareholders In December, 2023, Imaginus attracted an investment of ₩50 billion from J&Private Equity (J&PE). At the time, J&PE's investment valued the company at approximately ₩200 billion. In May 2025, , a subsidiary of the , reported its plan to acquire a 10.3% stake in Imaginus for ₩36.8 billion. This transaction, based on Imaginus's total of 2,673,622 issued shares, valued the company at approximately ₩360 billion. An industry official noted that Contentree JoongAng's entry as a new financial investor at the end of August 2025 is expected to slightly change the shareholding structure. == Partnership ==
Partnership
In 2023, Imaginus' Choi signed a strategic partnership with Myriagon Studio. Myriagon Studio, formerly known as Origamix Partners Inc, is a management company led by Shinsuke Sato, renowned for his original Netflix series Alice In Borderland. The rebranding took place following the acquisition of Origamix Partners Inc by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Starting from June 1, 2023, Choi appointed as Executive Advisor at Myriagon Studio in order to help establish a formidable Asian premium production network. On March 21, 2024, Imaginus' Choi and Adam Burke, the director of the Los Angeles Tourism Office, signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on producing a Korean drama set in Los Angeles and promoting the city as a global tourism destination. This marked the first time a U.S. city tourism office has entered into an agreement for content production, and established a three-year partnership. In November 2024, Imaginus' Choi also signed a content joint development partnership with Japan's Asahi Broadcasting Corporation (ABC TV) to develop Japanese dramas combining Korean and Japanese production expertise. In May 2025, Tsai Chia-chun, the director of the Taiwan Creative Content Agency, flew to Seoul and signed a memorandum of understanding with Imaginus' Choi. The agreement is for a two-year collaboration on a series co-development. The two parties will invite Taiwanese creators to partner with the Imaginus team to create three original streaming series. The series will focus on romance and be developed for the worldwide market. == Production works ==
Production works
Imaginus Subsidiaries Production Works About Film H House Showrunners Studio PIC Trii Studio == Accolades ==
Accolades
State honors Listicles == Notes ==
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