KUALA LUMPR: iQIYI, Asia’s leading streaming platform, have big plans for movie and drama lovers especially in South-East Asia with Malaysia. Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia leading the way.

After making a strong presence in Malaysia and Thailand, IQIYI now plans to further make inroads in South-East Asia with new Indonesian dramas for its fan-base group and further supplementing its blooming Malaysian and Thailand content in its platform.

On top of that, iQIYI is taking the next step by establishing a special segment, ‘Drama Onz’ – a go-to destination for high-quality Malay drama content with a loyal fanbase.

Li Kaichen (KC Li), Vice President, APAC & MENA, iQIYI International added at a recent media event in Kuala Lumpur that after a series of successful releases last year, local dramas have surpassed 200 million digital views.

"This success has given us the push and impetus to further strengthen our presence here (South-East Asia). iQIYI now intends to produce drama series that will be an unforgettable experience for movie and drama fans.  

"We aim to continue our momentum of success with a host of exciting plans for the South-East Asia region. Already, we are working hand-in-hand with many top local partners in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, and that is to ensure we always keep up our high standards with our content in the iQIYI platform," said KC Li.

Following the stellar reception last year, iQIYI is also solidifying its position as the leading platform for local dramas by partnering with Media Prima and various local production houses including MIG Production, Skop Production, Pencil Picture Production, and Zeel Production to launch more exclusive content this year.

iQIYI also aims to showcase more local talent while introducing a brand-new lineup of dramas throughout 2025.

Highlighted iQIYI Originals include Mawar Dahlia, Dosa Cinta, Safira, and Griya. In addition to local dramas, iQIYI also offers a wide variety of entertainment including Chinese Dramas (C-Dramas), Anime, and Reality TV – all complete with subtitles for an inclusive viewing experience.

iQIYI certainly has come a long way since its early days tag as China's answer to Netflix. The streaming platform is now a giant in its own rights and has won many awards with its thought provoking family, fantasy and thriller drama series.

Its Chinese dramas, especially, has millions of loyal and ardent fans and iQIYI's high quality standards of production had also won many admirers.

According to Google search trends, global demand and interest in Chinese dramas have been on the rise since 2018.

In fact, Chinese dramas have frequently surpassed K-dramas in popularity, demonstrating their growing international appeal. As one of the largest global platforms for Chinese content, iQIYI delivered over 600 premium titles in 2024, equivalent to 7,700 hours of uninterrupted high-quality entertainment.

KC Li (centre) with the iQIYI team (on the left) and the Media Prima Groupo officials (on the right).

Additionally, iQIYI has been actively collaborating with top production houses in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, leveraging local expertise and cultural richness to launch over 60 new local titles in 2025.

"We intend to continue to produce top local contents and ensure we stay in front the race. Our commitment is also to always ensure top quality products for our loyal fans and followers," said KC Li.

This year, iQIYI also had unveiled a groundbreaking music project, Asia Music Voyage.

Spearheaded by legendary composer Kubert Leung (known for iconic works with Eason Chan and Faye Wong), alongside directors Wei Lu (Street Dance of China) and Lei Jin (The Voice of China), the project will feature acclaimed singer Jane Zhang as lead mentor.

The competition will take place on a cruise journey spanning Shanghai, Okinawa, Penang, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and culminating in a grand finale in Macau.

This innovative music programme aims to showcase the brightest Gen Z talent across Asia, creating a dynamic platform for cultural exchange and reinvigorating the regional music scene.

"We will always aim to give our followers a different kind of viewing pleasure and experience. And we also intend to come out with innovative programmes at all times," KC Li added.

"iQIYI will continue to focus on high-quality original content and expand its global footprint, solidifying its position as a leader in Asian entertainment."

Also in the future, KC Li said South-East Asia may also see dramas of different kind of genres that may include spy thrillers, epic fantasy series and also period dramas. iQIYI, for the record, did make a name for themselves with superb Chinese dramas in these categories.

In fact, their current top show 'The Demon Hunter's Romance' is widely followed all over Asia and is part of the fantasy martial arts genre.

"Those plans are for the future. For now, we will concentrate on the family drama and romance genres for South-East Asia region. But we will ensure that all our productions will be the highest of quality and never-seen before storylines," said KC Li.

As a background, iQIYI is a Chinese subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Baidu. Headquartered in Beijing, iQIYI primarily produces and distributes films and television series.

iQIYI is also currently one of the largest online video sites in the world, with nearly 6 billion hours spent on its service each month and over 500 million monthly active users. On March 29, 2018, the company issued its initial public offering in the United States and raised US$2.25 billion.

The Chinese streaming giant also made headlines earlier this year when the company announced that it has started building its first theme park, iQIYI Land, in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province.

iQIYI has also already breaks ground on its first theme park last month. The new entertainment destination will utilise iQIYI’s vast portfolio of TV and film brands, enhanced by cutting-edge technology to deliver an immersive experience.

Set to open later this year, iQIYI Land will feature an immersive theatre, a holographic light space, an interactive performance theatre, a film set interaction area, character experiences, mixed reality (MR) party games, and more. Also, the park will house themed dining venues, and branded merchandise.

The park will be strategically located in Yangzhou, an “ideal location” due to its “rich heritage, vibrant cultural tourism, and innovative spirit”, said iQIYI, and it intends to “reimagine Chinese storytelling through technology and offer a new cultural landmark”.