CJ ENM Launches First Light StoryHouse to Elevate Asian and Asian‑American Narratives

A new force in Asian and Asian American storytelling is taking shape. South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM has partnered with Hollywood producer Janet Yang, CJ vice chair Miky Lee, and East West Bank CEO Dominic Ng to launch a new venture called First Light StoryHouse. Announced on July 29, the initiative is a significant push to elevate film and television projects created by and about members of the Asian diaspora.

As told by the Hollywood Reporter, the goal of First Light StoryHouse is clear: to identify and develop compelling stories from Asian and Asian American creators and shepherd them into global distribution. It will focus on early-stage project development — from investing in concepts and scripts to connecting projects with studios, streamers, and international production companies. According to Yang, this new label fills a long-overdue gap in the industry. “In Miky Lee and Dominic Ng, I’ve found kindred spirits—true champions for cross-cultural storytelling,” she said. “We’ve discussed our aligned interests over many conversations and have decided to create a venture together”.

First Light StoryHouse will be operated under the umbrella of CJ ENM and overseen by Jerry Kyoungboum Ko, who heads the studio’s global film division. Its mission is both creative and cultural — to serve as a platform where authentic stories from the Asian diaspora can flourish and reach international audiences. “Recent successes from Asian storytellers have shown the potential and authenticity of their stories,” said Lee. “We are committed to empowering these stories on the global stage.”

The initiative comes at a time of rising global interest in Asian-led storytelling, a trend CJ ENM has helped fuel. The company was a key force behind Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, which became the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture at the Oscars, and co-financed the Oscar-nominated 2023 hit Past Lives, directed by Celine Song. The new label signals a strategic continuation of that momentum but with an explicit emphasis on nurturing diaspora voices and cross-cultural narratives.

Dominic Ng, whose East West Bank has long invested in cultural bridge-building initiatives, views the label as a critical connector between East and West. “This joint effort behind First Light StoryHouse will serve as a powerful connector,” he said, “expanding opportunities for creative voices.” His involvement, along with Yang’s decades-long advocacy for Asian representation in Hollywood and Lee’s unparalleled track record in global film, signals a serious commitment to building lasting infrastructure around Asian-led storytelling.

CJ ENM also has a robust slate of upcoming global productions. These include Bugonia, an English-language remake of the Korean cult sci-fi film Save the Green Planet!, to be directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, and No Other Choice, a Park Chan-wook film featuring Korean stars Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin. These projects exemplify the studio’s continued investment in international crossover stories — and now, with First Light StoryHouse, it aims to extend that approach to underrepresented narratives rooted in diaspora experiences.

What sets this venture apart is not just its focus on representation, but its emphasis on sustainability — building a long-term ecosystem in which Asian and Asian American stories are not just told, but supported from idea to distribution. As the entertainment world continues to wrestle with inclusion and authenticity, First Light StoryHouse offers a concrete, well-resourced model for how to move beyond performative gestures and into meaningful structural change.

The launch of First Light StoryHouse marks a turning point — not only for those who’ve long worked to expand the visibility of Asian stories in Hollywood, but for a global audience increasingly eager for nuanced, boundary-crossing narratives. With Lee, Yang, and Ng behind the wheel, and CJ ENM’s global clout backing the effort, this new venture is set to become a powerful platform for voices that have too often gone unheard.

Photo courtesy CJ ENM.