Kross Pictures
A South Korean multinational film and television production company focused on adapting intellectual property for international markets.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Kross Pictures is a South Korean multinational film and television production company with offices in Seoul, Los Angeles, and Mumbai. Founded in Los Angeles in 2003, the company developed a cross-border model built around finding established intellectual property and turning it into localized films and television series for different national markets. Its activities extend beyond conventional screen production: the company has also been involved in film distribution, web novel and webtoon production, book publishing, and digital comics platform services. The company’s international strategy has particularly emphasized adaptations of Korean and Japanese stories for Chinese, Indian, American, and other audiences. One of its early Chinese-language productions, The Devotion of Suspect X, opened at the top of the Chinese box office and reportedly earned approximately CN¥410 million. Kross Pictures also expanded into Indian cinema, where its Telugu-language production Oh! Baby opened on 5 July 2019 and reached the top position in the Telugu-speaking market. These projects illustrate the company’s focus on transferring proven stories across languages and production systems rather than relying only on original, single-market releases. Kross Pictures broadened its digital-content activities in December 2019 by launching Kross Komics through its subsidiary Kross Komics, Inc. The service was described as India’s first digital comics platform and represented an attempt to connect screen adaptation, publishing, and web-based intellectual property development. The company has also pursued television and unscripted formats, including projects based on Korean series and reality franchises for Indian and other markets. Its business structure changed substantially through investment by KakaoPage, now known as Kakao Entertainment. In August 2020, KakaoPage announced the purchase of 49 percent of Kross Pictures for ₩5.9 billion. Kakao Entertainment acquired the remaining 51 percent in October 2021, making Kross Pictures a wholly owned subsidiary. In December 2021, Kakao Entertainment also acquired 99 percent of Kross Komics through Kross Pictures. The transactions placed Kross Pictures within Kakao’s broader entertainment ecosystem while preserving its role as an international production and adaptation company. Kross Pictures has also been involved in copyright-enforcement disputes concerning unauthorized adaptations. It prevailed in a case involving the Kannada film Pushpaka Vimana, which was found to have copied the 2013 Korean film Miracle in Cell No. 7, and in another case concerning the Tamil film Kolaigaran, which was treated as an unauthorized adaptation of the Japanese novel The Devotion of Suspect X. These cases underscore the importance of rights acquisition and adaptation control to the company’s business model. The company remains active in film, television, digital comics, and intellectual-property development. Projects reported as being in development have included Indian remakes of Miracle in Cell No. 7, A Hard Day, Midnight Runners, and Miss Granny; a United States adaptation of The Devotion of Suspect X; and an Indian adaptation of Sinkhole. Television development has included Indian versions of Business Proposal and Ms. Incognito, along with adaptations of the unscripted formats Bloody Game, Heart Signal, Love After Divorce, and Back to the Ground.
History
Kross Pictures was founded in Los Angeles in 2003 by Hyunwoo Thomas Kim as a cross-border film and television production company. From the outset, its model centered on acquiring or identifying established intellectual property and developing localized versions for different territories. This approach positioned the company between rights management, production, and international distribution, allowing stories with an existing audience or strong narrative foundation to be remade in new languages and cultural settings. The company expanded its activities across Asia and North America while maintaining offices in Seoul, Los Angeles, and Mumbai. Its work included feature-film production, television development, distribution, publishing, web novels, webtoons, and digital platform services. Rather than limiting itself to one national entertainment market, Kross Pictures used Korean, Japanese, and other source material as a basis for adaptations aimed at Chinese, Indian, American, and additional audiences. A notable early project was the Chinese-language film The Devotion of Suspect X. The production opened at the top of the Chinese box office and reportedly generated approximately CN¥410 million. The result demonstrated the commercial potential of Kross Pictures’ adaptation-led strategy. The company later expanded its Indian film presence with Oh! Baby, released on 5 July 2019. The film reached the top position in the Telugu-speaking box office market and reinforced the company’s interest in producing localized versions of successful Korean stories. Kross Pictures also diversified into digital publishing. On 7 December 2019, it launched Kross Komics through Kross Komics, Inc. The platform was described as the first digital comics platform in India. This initiative connected the company’s screen-production activities with a broader intellectual-property pipeline, potentially allowing stories and characters to move between webcomics, books, television, and film. Ownership changed in 2020 and 2021. On 14 August 2020, KakaoPage announced the acquisition of 49 percent of Kross Pictures for ₩5.9 billion. KakaoPage subsequently became part of the Kakao Entertainment structure. In October 2021, Kakao Entertainment acquired the remaining 51 percent, turning Kross Pictures into a wholly owned subsidiary. In December of the same year, Kakao Entertainment acquired 99 percent of Kross Komics through Kross Pictures. These transactions integrated Kross Pictures and its digital-comics affiliate into Kakao’s larger content network. Copyright protection became another important aspect of the company’s operating history. Kross Pictures won cases involving the Kannada film Pushpaka Vimana and the Tamil film Kolaigaran. The former was deemed an unauthorized remake of the Korean film Miracle in Cell No. 7, while the latter was treated as an unauthorized adaptation of the Japanese novel The Devotion of Suspect X. The disputes highlight the legal and commercial importance of securing adaptation rights when stories are transferred across languages and jurisdictions. Kross Pictures has continued developing international remakes and format adaptations. Reported projects have included Indian versions of Miracle in Cell No. 7, A Hard Day, Midnight Runners, and Miss Granny; a United States adaptation of The Devotion of Suspect X; and an Indian adaptation of Sinkhole. Television projects in development have included Indian versions of Business Proposal and Ms. Incognito. The company has also explored unscripted adaptations, including Bloody Game for India and Japan, as well as Indian versions of Heart Signal, Love After Divorce, and Back to the Ground. Its present identity is therefore that of a Kakao-owned, internationally oriented content company whose activities span production, adaptation, rights management, publishing, and digital comics.
- 2021
Kakao Entertainment takes full ownership
[1]Kakao Entertainment acquires the remaining 51 percent of Kross Pictures.
- 2021
Kross Komics becomes part of the Kakao group
[1]Kakao Entertainment acquires 99 percent of Kross Komics through Kross Pictures.
- 2020
KakaoPage acquires a minority stake
[1]KakaoPage announces the purchase of 49 percent of Kross Pictures for ₩5.9 billion.
- 2019
Oh! Baby reaches the top of the Telugu-speaking box office
[1]The Indian feature Oh! Baby is released on 5 July 2019 and reaches the top position in the Telugu-speaking region.
- 2019
Kross Komics launches in India
[1]Kross Pictures launches its digital comics platform through Kross Komics, Inc. on 7 December.
- 2003
Kross Pictures is founded in Los Angeles
[1]Kross Pictures begins operations as a cross-border film and television production company.
Products and positioning
An international intellectual-property adaptation and screen-production company connecting Korean content with localized film, television, publishing, and digital-comics markets.
Film production · 2003
Feature-film production
Kross Pictures produces and develops feature films for domestic and international markets. Its film strategy has emphasized localized adaptations of established Korean, Japanese, and other intellectual properties, with projects designed for audiences in China, India, the United States, and additional territories.
Television production · 2003
Television production
The company develops television series and international adaptations, including scripted projects based on Korean formats and stories. Its reported development slate has included Indian versions of Business Proposal and Ms. Incognito.
Distribution
Film distribution
Film distribution is part of Kross Pictures’ broader content business. Distribution complements its production and rights-acquisition activities by helping move localized films and adaptations into their target markets.
Digital comics platform · 2019
Kross Komics
Kross Komics is a digital comics service launched in India through Kross Komics, Inc. in December 2019. The platform expanded Kross Pictures’ activities from screen production into web-based comics and intellectual-property development.
Publishing
Publishing and web intellectual property
Kross Pictures’ stated business areas include book publishing and the production of web novels and webtoons. These activities provide additional formats for developing, publishing, and adapting stories across the Kakao content ecosystem.
Controversies
Copyright dispute over Pushpaka Vimana
Kross Pictures won a copyright-infringement case involving the Kannada film Pushpaka Vimana, which was deemed an unauthorized remake of the Korean film Miracle in Cell No. 7.
Copyright dispute over Kolaigaran
Kross Pictures prevailed in a case involving Kolaigaran, which was treated as an unauthorized adaptation of the Japanese novel The Devotion of Suspect X.
Brand decisions
2021
Kakao Entertainment acquires the remaining Kross Pictures sharesM&ABackground
Following its 2020 minority investment, Kakao Entertainment moved to consolidate ownership of Kross Pictures.
Action taken
Kakao Entertainment acquired the remaining 51 percent of Kross Pictures.
Aftermath
Kross Pictures became a wholly owned subsidiary of Kakao Entertainment.
2021
Kakao Entertainment acquires Kross Komics ownershipM&ABackground
Kakao Entertainment continued consolidating Kross Pictures’ digital-content assets.
Action taken
Kakao Entertainment acquired 99 percent of Kross Komics through Kross Pictures.
Aftermath
Kross Pictures’ production and digital-comics activities were brought more closely into Kakao’s content portfolio.
2020
KakaoPage investment in Kross PicturesM&ABackground
Kross Pictures’ international production and intellectual-property activities attracted investment from KakaoPage.
Action taken
KakaoPage acquired 49 percent of Kross Pictures for ₩5.9 billion.
Aftermath
The investment began the company’s integration into Kakao’s broader entertainment business.
Purchase price. ₩5.9 billion (2020 acquisition announcement)
2019
Launch of Kross KomicsProduct launchBackground
Kross Pictures was expanding from film and television production into digital publishing and web-based intellectual property.
Action taken
The company launched Kross Komics in India through its subsidiary Kross Komics, Inc.
Aftermath
The launch broadened the company’s activities into digital comics and created another potential source of adaptable intellectual property.
Sources1 sources
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