Taiwan is doubling down on its international co-production strategy with Series Mania, with national agency TAICCA leading a delegation to Lille with CEO Erica Wang to announce four cross-border series at the Asia Co-Professional Pitch.
The white paper, released at the Series Mania Forum on Wednesday, was extracted from the Serial Bridge Asia Workshop and Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) and highlights a pipeline aimed at globally scalable storytelling across partnerships across Europe and Southeast Asia.
Drill down in four series:
“Emperor’s Shit” (Taiwan, Thailand)
The Emperor’s Shit, from award-winning Thai filmmaker Ratchapoum Bumbunchachok, is a darkly satirical ensemble set in a Japanese inn, in which a group of Thai tourists become involved in a murder at a hot spring. The series blends absurdist humor and social criticism, exploring how civility is weaponized to justify brutality. The project, produced by Neverland Entertainment and Wonderhood Studios, combines genre elements with LGBTQ+ and family themes for a global audience.
“Ready Player Mum” (Taiwan, UK, Singapore)
Billed as the first UK-Taiwanese co-production, Ready Prayer Mum is produced by former Channel 4 CEO David Abraham and created by showrunner Carl Gunn. The story centers on a middle-aged British woman secretly living as a top-class online gamer, whose digital identity becomes essential after a tragedy in Taiwan. Blending gaming culture and emotional drama, the series has established itself as a cross-market play with significant commercial benefits.
“The Fundamentals” (Taiwan, Philippines)
Directed by Locarno Golden Leopard winner Yeoh Shu Hwa, The Fundamentals is a high-concept thriller set in a typhoon-ravaged village cut off from the outside world, where a series of dismembered bodies reveal a deeply rooted belief system. As the investigation unfolds, the story pivots between rational investigation and collective paranoia. Produced by Volos Films, the project marries festival pedigree with elevated genre storytelling.
“Never the Bride” (Taiwan, Philippines)
Developed through TCCF, “Never the Bride” is an upscale Filipino workplace drama set in the luxury wedding business. The series, produced by Fire & Ice Media, follows a seriously injured planner and his team as they orchestrate an elaborate ritual while overcoming their own personal setbacks. The project has been designed with reproducible format possibilities and international distribution in mind, with a “Wedding of the Week” structure spanning multiple countries.
