SM Entertainment Teams Up With SAMG to Create K-Pop Superhero Animation

SM Entertainment has agreed to jointly produce a new animated series with SAMG Entertainment, a global intellectual property content company, blending K-pop artist branding with a superhero storyline.

The two companies signed the co-production contract on July 27 for a project tentatively titled "Superhero Idol Project," according to an announcement from SM. The series is being developed as a new global IP that merges the world of K-pop with animated superhero narratives.

The show is planned as a 13-episode series, with each episode running roughly 20 minutes, and the companies are targeting a release on a global OTT platform by 2028. The format suggests a production timeline of several years as the two firms build out characters, storylines and animation assets.

In a joint statement, SM and SAMG said the project would primarily target teenagers as well as audiences in their 20s and 30s, combining artist IP with superhero storytelling to appeal to both K-pop fans and animation viewers. The companies described the approach as a way to reach two distinct fan bases with a single piece of content.

The partnership reflects a broader push by Korean entertainment companies to extend their artist-driven IP beyond music and live performance into scripted, animated content that can travel more easily across international streaming markets. SAMG Entertainment brings production expertise in global animated IP, while SM contributes its roster of K-pop talent and fandom-building know-how.

Details such as casting, specific artists whose IP will be used, and the eventual streaming partner have not yet been disclosed. Both companies said further updates on the project would be shared as production progresses toward the planned 2028 launch.