KRU Studios
KRU Studios is a privately held Malaysian film studio founded in 1997, producing feature films, TV series, and branded content with high-end CGI and VFX capabilities. It serves media companies, OTT platforms, multinational distributors, and consumer brands across global and domestic markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersSelangor, Malaysia
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What KRU Studios does
KRU Studios is a privately held Malaysian film studio founded in 1997 by the KRU singer-songwriter-producer group, headquartered in Cyberjaya, Selangor. The company produces feature films, television series, and branded content, with a stated specialization in high-end CGI, 3D animation, and visual effects — productions are reported to use up to 40% green-screen shooting with intensive compositing and motion control work. Its catalog includes over 20 feature films (including the Cicakman trilogy, Magika, Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa, and Vikingdom) and over 300 hours of series content spanning superhero, horror, musical, fantasy, and animation genres.
The studio operates four wholly-owned sub-labels — Kartun (animation), Showbiz, Nadi, and Big Boyz — covering content production across English and Malay languages. Core technology combines CGI integration with live action, including character animation (e.g., the animated turtle "Nico" in Cinta Kura-Kura) and folklore-driven VFX sequences. The studio has secured the Malaysian Book of Records for most awards at a single Malaysian Film Festival (Magika) and for first Malaysian film released in USA cinemas (Vikingdom).
Revenue is generated across six streams: feature film production and theatrical distribution, series production (over 300 hours cumulative), branded content and commercial production for government and corporate clients, production services for foreign productions filming in Malaysia, merchandise through the KRU2u e-commerce storefront, and intellectual property licensing. Distribution is handled through tier-1 partners including Netflix, WeTV, Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, Astro, and Media Prima, with United Studios serving as international sales agent. Pricing is custom and quote-based; no public pricing or revenue figures are disclosed.
KRU Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KRU Studios
- Legal name
- KRU Studios
- Website
- https://krustudios.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- KRU Studios is a privately held Malaysian film studio founded in 1997, producing feature films, TV series, and branded content with high-end CGI and VFX capabilities. It serves media companies, OTT platforms, multinational distributors, and consumer brands across global and domestic markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KRU Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Motion Picture and Video Production
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Virtual Production Production Management & Collaboration Tools (MPAHADAK), Corporate & Internal Communications Video (MPADAEAC)
Keywords
Where KRU Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Selangor
- HQ country
- Malaysia
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
KRU Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Feature Film Production & Distribution: Production of feature films for domestic box office and international sales. Revenue generated from theatrical distribution, international licensing, and streaming platform deals.
- Series Production: Production of television series content, with over 300 hours produced to date.
- Branded Content & Commercial Production: Content production services for consumer brands including feature films, series, short films, music videos, commercials, presentation videos, and jingles for government ministries, agencies, multinational companies, and SMEs.
- Production Services for Foreign Productions: Local filming sponsorship services for foreign productions shooting in Malaysia.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of merchandise through KRU2u e-commerce platform featuring intellectual property derivatives.
- Intellectual Property Licensing: Licensing of intellectual properties for publications, songs, and other derivative formats. Content available for licensing through contact enquiries.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels4 records
KRU Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KRU Studios produces feature films, television series, and branded content including commercials, jingles, and presentation videos. The studio offers end-to-end production services from concept to distribution, with proprietary high-end CGI/VFX capabilities and bilingual (English/Malay) production expertise. It also licenses its intellectual properties for publications, songs, and merchandise, and provides local filming sponsorship services for foreign productions shooting in Malaysia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kartun: Animation genre sub-label producing content in English and Malay languages
- Showbiz
- Nadi
- Big Boyz
Products and services
- Cicakman 3 Feature film - third installment in the Cicakman trilogy, an action-superhero film with CGI-heavy production. Distributed globally on Netflix.
- Wheely Feature film distributed globally on Netflix.
- Puaka Balai Gombak Horror feature film about paranormal investigators.
- Ribbit Animated feature film with international cast, targeting family audiences.
- Mat Tudung Comedy feature film.
- Chikaro
Quantifiable outcome
- Malaysian Book of Records: Most Number of Awards won in Malaysian Film Festival (Magika)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use KRU Studios
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
KRU Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
KRU Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- United StudioscoreUnited Studios serves as KRU Studios' international sales agent, handling global distribution of content to markets outside Malaysia.
- AstrocoreLocal media conglomerate partner collaborating on production services and content distribution within Malaysia.
- Media PrimacoreLocal media conglomerate partner for production and content distribution activities in Malaysia.
- NetflixcoreOTT platform partner for streaming KRU Studios content globally including Cicakman 3 and 29 Februari.
- WeTVminorOTT platform partner for content streaming distribution in Asian markets.
- Universal PicturescoreMultinational film distributor collaborating on international distribution of KRU Studios productions.
- LionsgatecoreMultinational film distributor for international distribution partnerships.
- PFMminorPFM is a trade association that KRU Studios is affiliated with.
- MACP BerhadminorMusic Authors Copyright Protection Berhad is the musical works society that KRU Studios affiliates with for music copyright protection.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
KRU Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Lionsgate: Global entertainment company and one of KRU's distribution partners. Broader incumbent that produces and distributes film/TV content globally; comparable content category though at vastly different scale and geographic reach.
- CJ ENM: South Korean entertainment conglomerate with major film production, distribution, and OTT (TVING) capabilities. Broader incumbent in the same content category — Asian feature film and series production for global audiences — but at vastly larger scale and with deeper international distribution.
Regional players
- Starvision Plus: Indonesian film production and distribution company producing local-language theatrical films. Comparable in business model (regional-language content production, theatrical distribution) and scale, though operating in the larger Indonesian market rather than Malaysia.
- VIVA Films: Filipino film production company producing local theatrical releases. Comparable as a regional Southeast Asian film production company with similar genre breadth and theatrical-distribution-led business model.
- Illusion (Multivision Plus): Indonesian film production house producing local-language genre films. Comparable in business model and scale as a Southeast Asian mid-sized film production company focused on local theatrical markets.
- MD Pictures: Indonesian film production company and one of the largest local producers in Indonesia. Similar business model focused on local-language feature films, franchise building, and theatrical success; comparable in genre breadth (action, horror, drama).
- GMA Pictures: Film production arm of GMA Network in the Philippines, producing local-language feature films and series. Comparable regional-language content production model and scale, focused on Filipino-market theatrical and broadcast content.
Direct peers
- Primeworks Studios: Malaysian content production studio and subsidiary of Media Prima. Direct peer producing local feature films, series, and branded content; one of KRU's distribution partners and a comparable production house operating in the same geography and customer base.
- Astro Shaw: Film production arm of Astro Malaysia, producing local feature films and TV content. Direct peer in the Malaysian film production space with similar feature-film output and relationships with local broadcasters, though backed by a much larger media conglomerate parent.
- Skop Productions: Malaysian film production company producing feature films and series. Most direct comparable in terms of geography, scale, and business model — both produce Malay-language theatrical films and commercial content within the Malaysian market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
KRU Studios social profiles
Digital presenceKRU Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KRU Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
KRU Studios subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
KRU Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KRU Studios M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KRU Studios
What does KRU Studios do?
KRU Studios produces feature films, television series, and branded content including commercials, jingles, and presentation videos. The studio offers end-to-end production services from concept to distribution, with proprietary high-end CGI/VFX capabilities and bilingual (English/Malay) production expertise. It also licenses its intellectual properties for publications, songs, and merchandise, and provides local filming sponsorship services for foreign productions shooting in Malaysia.
Is KRU Studios a public or private company?
KRU Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was KRU Studios founded?
KRU Studios was founded in 1997. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is KRU Studios based?
KRU Studios is headquartered in Selangor, Malaysia, in the Asia region.
How does KRU Studios make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Feature Film Production & Distribution is the primary driver. The others are series Production, branded Content & Commercial Production, production Services for Foreign Productions, merchandise Sales and intellectual Property Licensing.
Who are KRU Studios's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Lionsgate and CJ ENM. Regional players are Starvision Plus, VIVA Films, Illusion (Multivision Plus), MD Pictures and GMA Pictures. Direct peers are Primeworks Studios, Astro Shaw and Skop Productions.
Does KRU Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for KRU Studios.
What industry is KRU Studios in?
KRU Studios's product category is Motion Picture and Video Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADABAB, Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action), with a secondary code of MPAHADAK, Virtual Production Production Management & Collaboration Tools. Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.