New Malaysian venture to fund live-action and animated content

A new venture backed by Malaysia’s government and Astro Overseas, has been set up in Kuala Lumpur to invest in live-action and animated content in English, initially targeting Asian-themed stories with global appeal.

Ideate Media is a partnership between Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the investment arm of the Malaysian government, and Astro Overseas, a sister company of Malaysia’s leading pay-TV platform.

Astro veteran Zainir Aminullah, most recently investment director at Astro Overseas and previously executive director of Astro Entertainment, has been tapped to lead the new venture as CEO.

Ideate plans to focus on content development and IP exploitation. It will invest in live-action or animated content from around the world, both films and TV series.

Initial productions will center on mid-budget, English-language content with global distribution potential, that are Asian-themed or use Asia as a backdrop. Over the next three years, Ideate is looking to back up to 12 international projects.

Aminullah said, “Through strategic partnerships with established production houses and distributors, we will connect the development and commercial processes and help transform creative visions into international successes.”