Regional streaming platform Viu is doubling down on Malaysia, unveiling its biggest originals slate yet at its biggest upfronts showcase in Kuala Lumpur this week.

Five new originals are in the works for next year, in addition to the return of the platform’s most watched romcom, Lina Tan’s "From Saga With Love", for a second season.

The new titles – including a local remake of Korean drama "Strong Girl Bong-Soon" – bring Viu’s total all-time slate of Malaysia original series to 29.

2024 originals include "Terlanjur Cinta", Viu Malaysia’s first Ramadan offering from Erma Fatima ("Perempuan Itu").

The series is the story of a young woman who accepts a marriage proposal from a much older widower to save her drug addict brother from prison and lift her family out of poverty.

The other new titles are "Nafsu", about a conman pretending to be a mystic healer who comes to the aid of an old flame whose sister has gone missing; "Gadis Masa", a time-travel drama about a long-married couple whose relationship is on the rocks when the husband dies suddenly in an accident; and murder mystery, "The Secret", which kicks off when a university student is found dead and authorities are quick to classify it as suicide until a lecturer acts on her suspicions that something more sinister is at play.

The 2024 original slate is 50% bigger than in 2023.

The four original series in 2023 were horror series "Nenek Bongkok Tiga", about eight strangers who wake up in a mansion guarded by an elderly woman with a hunched back; "Alter-Naratif", a sci-fi tale about the CEO of a memory-altering tech company who begins to doubt her own memories; "From Saga With Love" season one; and the local adaptation of K-drama "W: Two Worlds", which premieres this week.

Although Viu Malaysia has always taken a deeply local approach, the latest strategy clearly involves broader outreach. “Viu is deeply committed to enhancing Malaysia’s creative ecosystem and presenting Malaysian stories to audiences across the region,” Kingsley Warner, Viu’s Malaysia country manager, says.