'Beef' Creator Lee Sung Jin Launches Lila Pictures, Sets Ali Wong Series at Netflix

"Beef" creator Lee Sung Jin has launched Lila Pictures under his renewed Netflix overall deal, hiring Hyunji Ward as SVP of film and TV and setting two series in development, including the Ali Wong limited drama "The Only Child."

Nov 04, 2026 - 14:16

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Lee Sung Jin, the creator of the Netflix anthology series "Beef," has launched a production company, Lila Pictures, and set up two new scripted series in development at the streamer, the company announced on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The banner was formed to facilitate the creation of scripted series and feature films under Lee's Netflix pact, The Hollywood Reporter reported, and TheWrap said Lee will continue to create projects across scripted series and feature films exclusively for Netflix.

The first two projects are "The Only Child," a limited drama series starring Ali Wong, and "Citizen's Arrest," a drama series created by Gene Hong. Lee has also hired Hyunji Ward as Lila Pictures' senior vice president of film and television.

A new banner under a renewed Netflix deal

The launch follows Netflix's renewal of its overall deal with Lee in April. Deadline reported at the time that the multi-year extension would again span scripted series and feature film, and that Netflix first signed Lee, who is also known as Sonny Lee, to an overall deal in 2023 after the breakout success of the first "Beef" installment. What's on Netflix reported in November 2023 that the original pact covered future film and television projects, with its length and financial terms undisclosed.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lila, pronounced "Lee-lah," takes its name from a Sanskrit word meaning "divine play." The company will develop original film and television projects for Lee to create, executive produce, write and direct, while also "investing in the next generation of creative voices," per the announcement.

"I'm excited to launch Lila Pictures with the support of my creative home at Netflix and the help of Hyunji Ward, our new SVP of Film and TV," Lee said in a statement. "In Sanskrit, lila can be interpreted as 'the divine play,' and I'm grateful to reflect that through film and television, alongside close friends and collaborators like Ali Wong and Gene Hong. This is just the beginning. There will also be merch."

The executive running Lila

Ward began her career in the motion picture department at the talent agency UTA and spent the last four years as a creative director at Dakota Johnson's TeaTime Pictures, Deadline reported. Her work there included "Splitsville," which premiered at Cannes last year, Christy Hall's "Daddio" and Zoe Lister-Jones' series "Slip." TheWrap described her as an associate producer on Michael Angelo Covino's "Splitsville."

The first two projects

"The Only Child" reunites Lee with Wong, who starred in the first season of "Beef," and with playwright and screenwriter Ava Wong Davies, whose credits include "Industry." Variety reported that Wong Davies will write the limited series and that Wong will produce in addition to starring. Wong will play the mother of a professional archer preparing to compete for her first gold medal.

"Citizen's Arrest" follows "two longtime friends and neighbors whose obsession with solving a local crime becomes an escape from the private crises neither is ready to face," according to the logline cited by Variety. Variety said Hong was a writer and producer on the second season of "Beef," while Deadline said he also executive produced series including "Magnum P.I."

Both projects are in development, and neither has a release date or additional casting at this stage, What's on Netflix reported. The outlet noted that Wednesday's announcement did not mention a third season of "Beef," while Deadline wrote that there could be more of the series down the line.

The track record behind the deal

"Beef" debuted in 2023. Per Netflix, the first season spent five weeks in the streamer's global top 10 and reached the top 10 in 87 countries, Variety reported. Deadline reported that the first installment won eight Emmys and three Golden Globes, including the top limited or anthology series prizes. Across both seasons, the show has received 29 Emmy nominations and 11 wins. Lee earned nominations for writing and directing, becoming the first Asian creator to secure multiple Emmy nominations across writing, directing and producing categories for the same series, according to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.

The second season, which premiered on Netflix on April 16, followed a Gen Z couple played by Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton who become entangled in the unraveling marriage of their country club boss and his wife, played by Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan, Deadline reported. Youn Yuh Jung and Song Kang Ho also starred, and A24 was the studio. TheWrap reported that the season was the most nominated limited series of 2026, with 16 nominations.

Viewership was lower than for the first season. What's on Netflix reported in April that the second season debuted at No. 10 on Netflix's English-language TV chart with 2.4 million views, down from the first season's opening 5.8 million views, a drop of 58%. The outlet said the second season's two-week total of 6.5 million views trailed the 17.8 million the first season reached at the same point. What's on Netflix also reported that co-CEO Ted Sarandos indicated on the company's first-quarter earnings call that Lee would be making projects for Netflix for years to come.

Lee's other work

Outside his Netflix slate, Lee co-wrote the script for Marvel's "X-Men" with Joanna Calo, whose credits include "The Bear," and What's on Netflix reported that the film reunites him with director Jake Schreier. Lee also executive produced Alex Russell's film "Lurker," which premiered at Sundance, according to Deadline. Variety listed his earlier television credits as "Dave," "Tuca & Bertie," "Silicon Valley" and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," and reported that he is represented by WME and Hansen Jacobson.