Netflix has ordered a scripted series from YouTube shorts star Alan Chicken Chow, creator of “Alan’s Universe.” Netflix, Chow and Hybe America (the U.S. division of South Korean music and entertainment company Hybe) are working on an untitled show set in the world of K-pop, the streamer revealed on Tuesday.
According to the logline, Chow’s series “tells the story of a misfit group of aspiring pop idols who join an art academy and form a co-ed band.”
Chow first announced the project as part of a new partnership with Hybe America earlier this year (Variety exclusively). The label, then called “Hybe America x AU,” was described as “the first label ever.” At the center of it all, Chow announced the casting of “multifaceted artists” to join the new mixed-gender pop music group. They will also co-star in a scripted series about the band on his YouTube channel.
Now, the show has moved to Netflix instead of his YouTube channel.
Of course, Netflix is coming off the huge success of “Kpop Demon Hunters,” which not only became a huge hit for the streamer, but also a giant in the music world. Just like that movie that spawned hits like “Golden,” the Chow series will also release original music to accompany the series. Hybe, on the other hand, offers its K-pop expertise as the company behind BTS, Katseye, and other groups.
Chou will serve as executive producer of the series, along with James Shin, president of Hybe America’s film and television division, and Jing Jang, president of Hybe America AU and former vice president of BigHit Music. No word yet on whether Chow or someone else will write the series and whether he will direct it.
“Our groundbreaking project brings together the extraordinary creative talents of Netflix and Hybe America to launch pioneering new series for the next generation,” Chow said in a statement. “Working with a world-class team that is constantly shaping culture on a global scale, our mission is to set a new standard in storytelling designed to inspire creativity, spark joy and convey timeless life lessons to audiences around the world.”
Although he did not divulge details about the series, Shin promised that it would “provide a culture-defining model for how pop groups are created.” With proven visionaries like Alan at the forefront of the creator ecosystem, we are setting out to create groundbreaking series that will expand the audience, possibilities, and ways to build fandom from day one.
Additionally, nothing has been announced yet regarding the status of the global search for talent, which was considering pairing Chow with three men and three women. The plan was to put the new members through a mini-K-Pop bootcamp and a development program in Los Angeles that combined “Chow’s content expertise” with Hybe’s K-Pop training system.
Chou is the author of Alan’s Universe, an anthology series for high school students that has nearly 100 million subscribers and more than 1 billion views per month. Last year, he was recognized as one of the industry’s top creators by Forbes, Time, and other news organizations. In November 2024, he opened a 10,000 square foot production studio space in Burbank, where all production for this series currently takes place.
Chow is repped by CAA. Here’s a teaser for the new Netflix/Hybe America/”Alan’s Universe” partnership:
