Adaptations of Korean webtoons and web novels developed with CJ Group and a batch of new originals headline the 2027 vertical slate unveiled in Singapore on Wednesday by FlareFlow parent COL Group, V47 Entertainment and Virtue Asia.
The lineup was presented at Inside Microdramas, which organizers described as an upfront without precedent.
The Korean titles, developed with CJ Group, include “Idol Once Again,” a fantasy in which a washed-up idol travels back in time for a second shot at fame, and “Genius Doctor Lee Mu-jin,” based on a popular webtoon about a street fighter coached by the ghost of a brilliant physician. Also on the Korean slate is “The Exclusive Secretary,” adapted from a web novel, in which a corporate heir and the secretary who lives with him grow closer while a perilous fight over the family succession plays out.
On the originals side, COL Group and V47 are developing “The Vanishing Act,” a mystery about a magician who disappears on air during the final of an international talent contest, and “Fortune Chasers,” which mixes a scripted reality competition with thriller beats. “1% Better,” a reality format set in the world of sports and fitness, pits unlikely rivals against each other.
The slate also carries over three of COL’s best-performing existing microdramas – “Oops, I Married My Bestie’s Brother!,” “My Sweetheart’s a Gangster” and “From Janitor to Mrs. Billionaire” – as IP the companies aim to extend through wider distribution, adaptation and commercial tie-ups. They did not specify what form those follow-ups will take.
COL Group’s FlareFlow has passed 52 million registered users and carries close to 7,000 short-drama titles, reaching viewers in upward of 200 countries and regions. The platform topped all rights holders in TikTok’s short-drama revenue-share rankings for the first quarter of 2026.
The three companies also launched Story Engine, an operating model that ties together development, production, financing and worldwide distribution. It pools V47’s development and production arm, Virtue Asia’s expertise in cultural strategy and integrating brands, and COL Group’s genre know-how and international distribution reach. Brands can go past product placement and sponsorship to come aboard as development partners, executive producers or financiers, with a possible stake in the resulting IP.
“We see a real opportunity for brands to go beyond traditional advertising and become part of the entertainment audiences actively choose to watch,” said Timothy Oh, chief marketing officer of FlareFlow and general manager of COL Group International. “By bringing together our genre expertise and international distribution network with the creative strengths of V47 and Virtue, we’re helping brands develop original entertainment IP that can build lasting audience connections and grow across platforms and markets.”
V47 was formed by Virtue Asia and Goldfinch International, the U.K.-based Goldfinch Group’s international expansion vehicle, which targets MENA, Asia and Africa.
V47 Entertainment chair David Webster said the opportunity lay in developing entertainment that could grow into something larger than one production. “By bringing brands into the development and financing process, we can give ambitious original ideas the backing they need to reach audiences, while creating opportunities to build franchises and valuable IP over time. The story must always come first, but we’re opening up new ways for brands to become meaningful partners in creating the entertainment people want to watch.”
Virtue Asia, a strategic and creative agency, counts Disney, Google, Spotify, Toyota, Diageo and Shiseido among its clients. Its CEO, Lesley John, said brands could no longer get noticed by interrupting culture and instead had to earn a place within it. “Microdramas offer an exciting opportunity, but success depends on understanding the culture, the audience, and the storytelling that makes people want to keep watching. Our role is to bring those worlds together – translating cultural insight into creative integration that feels native to the story and adds value to the audience experience, not just visibility for the brand.”
