NEW YORK and SEOUL, South Korea, April  16, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K Wave Media Ltd. (&#34;KWM&#34; or the &#34;Company&#34;) (NASDAQ:KWM), a global K-content, intellectual property (IP), and artificial intelligence (AI) technology

K Wave Media Reports Strong Momentum Across Film and Drama IP Portfolio, Highlighting Breakout Box Office Success and Cannes Recognition

KWM Reports Strong Box Office Success and Expansion Plans for 2026

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  <section data-block="information">
    <h3>Information</h3>
    <p>NEW YORK and SEOUL, South Korea, April  16, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K Wave Media Ltd. (&amp;#34;KWM&amp;#34; or the &amp;#34;Company&amp;#34;) (NASDAQ:KWM), a global K-content, intellectual property (IP), and artificial intelligence (AI) technology</p>
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  <section data-block="ai-summary-paragraph">
    <h3>AI Summary</h3>
    <p>K Wave Media (KWM) is experiencing significant momentum in its film and drama segments, especially with the success of &#039;Whispering Water&#039;. An invitation to Cannes for &#039;Dora&#039; and the upcoming premiere of &#039;The Scarecrow&#039; bolster growth expectations for 2026, reflecting KWM&#039;s strong portfolio of intellectual property.</p>
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  <section data-block="ai-summary-bullets">
    <h3>Key Points</h3>
    <ul><li>KWM announces strong performance in film and drama sectors for 2026.</li><li>The horror film &#039;Whispering Water&#039; is a box office success in Korea.</li><li>Solaire Partners gains recognition with a Cannes invitation for &#039;Dora&#039;.</li><li>New drama &#039;The Scarecrow&#039; set to premiere April 20, expanding KWM&#039;s portfolio.</li><li>KWM&#039;s subsidiaries show measurable results in content development and production.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="companies-mentioned">
    <h3>Companies Mentioned</h3>
    <ul><li><strong>The Lamp Pictures</strong>: KWM&#039;s subsidiary driving significant box office success with &#039;Whispering Water&#039;.</li><li><strong>Solaire Partners</strong>: KWM&#039;s investment arm enhancing global exposure through Cannes invitation.</li><li><strong>ANSEILEN</strong>: KWM&#039;s subsidiary expanding its creative offerings in drama with &#039;The Scarecrow&#039;.</li><li><strong>HYBE (HYBE)</strong>: KWM collaborates with major K-pop companies for strategic content.</li><li><strong>SM Entertainment (SM)</strong>: Partnerships with KWM may drive cross-promotional opportunities in content.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="category">
    <h3>Corporate Developments</h3>
    <p>This falls under &#039;Corporate Developments&#039; due to KWM&#039;s significant achievements in content production and strategic expansions. The positive box office results and global recognition at Cannes underscore the company&#039;s growth potential in the entertainment industry.</p>
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  <section data-block="market-moving">
    <h3>Market-Moving</h3>
    <ul><li>Box office performance of &#039;Whispering Water&#039; indicates strong consumer interest in KWM&#039;s content.</li><li>Cannes recognition could enhance KWM&#039;s credibility and attract more collaborations.</li><li>Upcoming dramas like &#039;The Scarecrow&#039; may drive future engagement and revenue.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="key-facts">
    <h3>Key Facts</h3>
    <ul><li>&#039;Whispering Water&#039; surpassed 800,000 viewers within its first week.</li><li>The film has held the #1 position at the Korean box office for over eight days.</li><li>&#039;Dora&#039; is invited to the Directors&#039; Fortnight at Cannes.</li><li>&#039;The Scarecrow&#039; is scheduled to premiere on April 20, 2026.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="trading-thesis">
    <h3>Trading Thesis</h3>
    <p>KWM is likely to see upward momentum driven by successful content releases in 2026.</p>
  </section>
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<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/styles/gnw_nitf.css"></link><p align="justify">NEW YORK and SEOUL, South Korea, April  16, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=jcp6qSQ1QxYNtGDR_BCqemaFi0-DhTF3EP2AT6nFgwq_vq1rjjPFzV4tQEB_swY311eJltuOu5jW-AFezbwA7cTi1hsjbpIcUrxs6DBL-HY=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><u>K Wave Media Ltd</u></a>. ("KWM" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/KWM">KWM</a>), a global K-content, intellectual property (IP), and artificial intelligence (AI) technology platform, today announced significant achievements across its film and drama content portfolio, underscoring the growing strength of its IP platform and reinforcing expectations for a robust 2026 release slate.</p>  <p>KWM's affiliated production and investment entities, including The Lamp Pictures, Solaire Partners, and ANSEILEN, continue to deliver measurable results across the content value chain, spanning development, investment, and production.</p>  <p><strong>"Whispering Water" Achieves Breakout Box Office Performance</strong></p>  <p>KWM's subsidiary, The Lamp Pictures, has delivered a major commercial success with its horror film "Whispering Water," which has rapidly emerged as a leading box office performer in Korea following its release on April 8, 2026.</p>  <p>The film surpassed 800,000 cumulative viewers in its first week, reaching 813,256 admissions as of April 14, and achieved break-even in record time. It has maintained the #1 position at the Korean box office for eight consecutive days.</p>  <p><strong>Solaire Partners Strengthens Global Presence with Cannes Invitation</strong></p>  <p>KWM's investment arm, Solaire Partners, continues to expand its global footprint, with the film "Dora" officially invited to the Directors' Fortnight at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival.</p>  <p>This invitation builds on KWM's strong track record at Cannes, including "Sleep" and "Next Sohee," highlighting the Company's ability to support projects combining artistic excellence with commercial viability.</p>  <p><strong>Drama Expansion: "The Scarecrow" Set to Premiere</strong></p>  <p>KWM continues to expand its IP portfolio into the drama segment through its subsidiary ANSEILEN.</p>  <p>Its upcoming investigative drama "The Scarecrow" is scheduled to premiere on April 20, 2026 at 10:00 p.m. (KST) on ENA.</p>  <p><strong>Management Commentary</strong></p>  <p>"We are seeing meaningful results from the combination of our subsidiaries' production capabilities and Solaire Partners' investment expertise. With a strong pipeline of IP that balances commercial success and artistic value, we expect to further expand our market presence in 2026," said Ted Kim, Chief Executive Officer at K Wave Media.</p>  <p><strong>About K Wave Media</strong></p>  <p>K Wave Media (KWM) is a publicly listed entertainment and Bitcoin treasury company dedicated to creating, distributing, and monetizing high-quality content across multiple platforms. Since going public in 2025, KWM has focused on strategic growth initiatives, including acquisitions, digital platforms, and digital asset treasury management.</p>  <p>Through its subsidiaries, KWM currently works with major K-pop entertainment companies, including HYBE, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and KQ Entertainment.</p>  <p><strong>Forward-Looking Statements</strong></p>  <p>This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "should," "would," "plan," "future," "outlook," and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.</p>  <p>These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding estimates and forecasts of other performance metrics and projections of market opportunity. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this communication, and on the current expectations of K Wave Media's management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of K Wave Media. Some important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements could include changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political, and legal conditions.</p>  <p>If any of these risks materialize or K Wave Media's assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that K Wave Media does not presently know, or that K Wave Media currently believes are immaterial, that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect K Wave Media's current expectations, plans, and forecasts of future events and views as of the date hereof. Nothing in this communication should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved.</p>  <p>You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements in this communication, which speak only as of the date they are made and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the cautionary statements herein and the risk factors of K Wave Media described in K Wave Media's Form 20-F initially filed with the SEC on May 14, 2025, as amended, including those under "Risk Factors" therein. K Wave Media anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its assessments to change. However, while K Wave Media may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, K Wave Media specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing K Wave Media's assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.</p>  <p><strong>Media Contact</strong><br></br><strong>Investor Relations: </strong>info@kwavemedia.com<br></br><strong>Public Relations: </strong>info@redroosterpr.com</p> <img alt="" class="__GNW8366DE3E__IMG" src="https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ti?nf=OTY5MTEwOCM3NTM4OTI0IzIyOTg1OTg="></img> <br></br><img alt="" src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/YjQwZTYxNTktMGYwMy00YTNjLTgzZDUtNjU4ZDdhYTFkMGI4LTEzMTAxNDgtMjAyNi0wNC0xNi1lbg==/tiny/K-Wave-Media.png" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></img>

K Wave Media (KWM) is experiencing significant momentum in its film and drama segments, especially with the success of 'Whispering Water'. An invitation to Cannes for 'Dora' and the upcoming premiere of 'The Scarecrow' bolster growth expectations for 2026, reflecting KWM's strong portfolio of intellectual property.

K Wave Media Reports Strong Momentum Across Film and Drama IP Portfolio, Highlighting Breakout Box Office Success and Cannes Recognition

AI Summary

Sentiment Rationale

Trading Thesis

Market-Moving

Key Facts

Companies Mentioned

Corporate Developments

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