[Edaily Starin, Reporter YUN GI BACK ] The film “The Gift of Room No. 7” is creating a new revenue model for K-content intellectual property (IP) by expanding beyond a simple overseas remake to include cross-border sequel rights deals. This has brought to life an unprecedented structure in which a story that began in Korea is localized overseas, and sequels to those localized versions are then sold to other countries.

According to content media group NEW on the 8th, the Indonesian sequel—based on the 2013 film “The Gift of Room No. 7,” which drew 10 million viewers—is now being remade in the Philippines as “The Second Gift of Room No. 7.” This marks a case where the rights to a sequel produced independently overseas have been sold to yet another country, demonstrating that the overseas business of K-content—which had previously been limited to remakes of original works—is evolving into a franchise model.
“The Gift of Room No. 7” has already proven its box office appeal by being reborn as local adaptations in several countries, including Indonesia, Türkiye, and the Philippines. In particular, the first remake, released in the Philippines in 2019, was a huge success, generating over 11 billion KRW in box office revenue locally.
What makes this project noteworthy is that a sequel—which does not exist in Korea—was created independently overseas, and that sequel has since moved on to a third country. It is a model in which a single IP gains new life in each country as the original story and characters are adapted to fit the culture and sensibilities of each region.
This differs significantly from conventional remake business models. While the process typically ends with the sale of rights to a Korean original work to an overseas production company, in this case, content derived locally was subsequently exported to another market. It is highly significant as an example of “IP re-expansion,” where a single piece of content repeatedly generates value as it passes through multiple countries.
NEW, the holder of the original IP, has also secured additional revenue through this expansion process. A structure has been established whereby the original creator receives revenue as the Indonesian sequel is resold to the Philippines. Rather than ending with a single copyright sale, this has evolved into a virtuous cycle model where the value of the original IP grows alongside the success of its spin-offs.
Above all, “The Gift of Room No. 7” is transforming into a regional franchise IP that transcends the status of a single blockbuster. Following repeated remakes of the same work in various countries, we have now entered a phase where each nation is independently expanding the universe and developing follow-up stories. In effect, content created in Korea has established itself as a “local production” in overseas markets and has subsequently become a new export asset.
Lee Jung-ha, CEO of Content Panda, stated, “The remakes of the film *The Gift of Room No. 7* have established themselves as a massive cultural asset spanning Southeast Asia,” adding, “We will continue to secure well-made IP and actively explore sustainable franchise revenue models in the global market.”
The Philippine sequel reunites the production team behind the original film’s box office success. Local major studio Viva Films is handling production, and Aga Mulak, who starred in the first film, will reprise her role. Nuel Crisostomo Naval will also return as director.
“The Second Gift of Room No. 7” is scheduled to open nationwide in the Philippines on December 25. Depending on the film’s performance, all eyes are on whether “The Gift of Room No. 7” will transcend being merely a successful remake to establish itself as a global franchise that expands its universe over the long term.