HYBE, formerly known as Big Hit Entertainment, and Universal Music Group’s Geffen Records have a new Netflix docuseries in the works: a competition to form the next US-based K-pop girl group. The currently untitled show will offer a glimpse into the K-pop audition process, along with the genre’s notoriously rigorous training and development system, as 20 women from across countries compete to make it into the group.
The contestants come from a long list of countries and were selected from a pool of 120,000 submissions. Becoming director Nadia Hallgren will be directing the series. The series is produced by HYBE, Interscope Films and Boardwalk Pictures.
Prior to the show’s premiere on Netflix in 2024, viewers can tune in to the kick off of the audition program in a segment entitled The Debut: Dream Academy, which will premiere on September 1 on YouTube and Japan’s ABEMA. While they haven’t yet found global stardom, the contestants aren’t exactly newcomers to K-pop either, as they’ve been undergoing training in Los Angeles for the past year, adding increased pressure to the high-stakes competition.
The program and its competitors can also be followed on Weverse, allowing fans to interact with other viewers and rally for their favorite artists.
“I have wanted to form an international group based on K-pop methodology for a while,” HYBE Bang Si-Hyuk said. “To do this I believed we needed a capable partner. When I met [Geffen CEO] John (Janick), from the first moment, we both felt instantly that we had a connection, musically and creatively. I am very proud of the rich history we have made and the tremendous talent we have found. I am proud of the opportunities we have created within the K-Pop universe.”
In other music news, the concert film Opus is Ryuichi Sakamoto’s final performance.
