MOBILE video-streaming service provider Hooq Digital Pte. Ltd. announced on June 2 it will roll out original content.
In a media briefing, executives of the Singapore-based firm said they signed a coproduction deal with Globe Telecom Inc. and independent studio Reality Entertainment Inc. to produce an original mini-series based on the multiaward-winning movie On the Job.
Production of the six-episode story revolving around a gang of assassins kicks off this month.
“It’s about time that we expand the themes that we started in the original On The Job movie,” movie director Erik Matti said. “Creating a miniseries exclusively for a video-on-demand service like Hooq will allow us to explore unique stories that will be sure to pull in viewers who will want to get more immersed in this compelling world we’re building.”
Matti added that the series will also involve the cop angle and introduce a new angle about the media in the Philippines. He said the series will have a web of conflicts in different industries.
Dan Horan, Globe senior advisor for consumer business, said the new venture is going to be “a growth driver” for the company.
“This collaboration stands as a strong indication of greater efforts that we will be undertaking in the near future, and we can’t wait to get started,” Horan said.
Jane Cruz-Walker, Hooq manager for the Philippines, said the series will be streamed later on to Thailand, India and Indonesia.
Cruz-Walker also announced the company will be selling its service in weekly “sachets.” She explained buyers will have access to a catalog of Hollywood and local titles of any service in the Philippines for seven days. This is the first time such a price plan has been introduced in the relative young video-on-demand space, inclusive of Hollywood content, according to her.
“We understand the challenges of the emerging markets unlike any other, and our goal is to ensure that everyone across Asia can access entertainment at an affordable price,” Hooq CEO Peter Bithos said. “All across emerging markets, goods and services are offered in ‘bite-size sachets,’ and we believe entertainment should be no different.”
Hooq Inc.—a joint venture by Singtel Group, Sony Corp. and Time Warner Inc.—offers an entertainment application for smart devices in the Philippines, Thailand and India.