Legendary moves into Asia, poaches Oe

Independent US studio Legendary Entertainment has expanded its TV operation to Asia and recruited influential Korean content exec Alex Oe to run the new operation, TBI can reveal.

Oe has joined Legendary from Korean content group CJ E&M and will work in a new Seoul-based office. While at the producer, channel operator and distributor he was instrumental in getting numerous international formats away.

Legendary has been expanding its TV division aggressively under the leadership of former Warner Bros. TV chief Bruce Rosenblum and his senior team, which includes former Sony Pictures Television bosses Michael Grindon and John McMahon.

During his four-year tenure at CJ E&M, Alex Oe worked with Tim Crescenti’s Small World IFT to get Korean hit Grandpas Over Flowers into the US, with the NBC version of the show in the works.

He also worked with Electus on Crazy Market, which was also optioned by Ballandi in Italy. CJ E&M’s Genius Game was also optioned by FremantleMedia for France, under Oe’s leadership.

Speaking to TBI at the ongoing Busan Contents Market in South Korea, the Legendary new recruit said he started in his new role, vice president, distribution, for Asia, last month.

In a separate interview, Legendary Television’s distribution chief Grindon said the hire positioned the studio as a global distributor, with former Sony colleague McMahon now in charge of EMEA and former Warner exec Carlos Sanchez overseeing Latin America.

Oe will be focused on selling Legendary’s drama programming such as the upcoming USA Network series Colony (pictured) to buyers in Asia. “Alex will be handling all of our content in Asia territories,” said Grindon.

At CJ E&M his drama experience included shopping its drama series In Need of Romance to Japanese broadcaster TBS, marking the first time a Korean cable drama had made it to free-TV in the country.

Former Cartoon Network executive and current CJ E&M sales manager Diane Min has replaced Oe at the Seoul-based content company.