IZ*ONE Could Be Coming Back — Multiple Member Agencies Agree With Relaunching The Group
In a new statement, the fans behind IZ*ONE‘s relaunch project have confirmed that most of the IZ*ONE members’ individual agencies are on board with plans to re-debut the group!
IZ*ONE disbanded on April 29 this year, but over a week before that, fans were already working hard to keep the group together. Back on April 21, WIZ*ONEs from fifteen Korean fanbases launched an initiative called the Parallel Universe Project with the aim of raising funding to show IZ*ONE still had a future together. Within just 10 minutes of launching, the crowdfunding project on Korean platform WADIZ reached a staggering total of ₩738 million KRW (about $650,000 USD).
Within the first 24 hours, funds surpassed $2 million USD, and the total now sits at ₩3.18 billion KRW (about $2.80 million USD). Of course, alongside raising funds, the Parallel Universe Project also had to make headway with the members’ agencies. After the group disbanded, every member headed back to their original companies:
- Jang Wonyoung and Ahn Yujin to Starship Entertainment
- Choi Yena to Yuehua Entertainment
- Kwon Eunbi and Kim Chaewon to Woollim Entertainment
- Jo Yuri to Stone Music Entertainment
- Lee Chaeyeon to WM Entertainment
- Kim Minju to Urban Works
- Kang Hyewon to 8D Creative
- Miyawaki Sakura and Yabuki Nako to Japanese agency Mercury
- Honda Hitomi to Japanese agency DH
In a recent video with Doyouram on YouTube, the head of the Parallel Universe Project revealed that the team has been in contact with the members’ agencies for quite some time—with one CEO getting in touch before the campaign even started. Alongside an unnamed entertainment label CEO who’s been delivering proposals on the WIZ*ONEs’ behalf, the team reported that things were going in a “positive” manner back at the end of May.
Now, there’s been a new development. In an update for Parallel Universe Project backers on WADIZ, the team announced that the entertainment management agency helping them has been negotiating with the individual members’ agencies for the past two months. Less than two months since the project was launch, the team now confirms that almost all the members’ agencies have expressed interest in relaunching IZ*ONE!
The team has also verified that except one Korean agency and one Japanese office, all other parties involved agree with the idea of IZ*ONE’s relaunch and that they are working favorably with the negotiating agency.
— Parallel Universe Project, WADIZ
Only one Korean and one Japanese agency are yet to agree to the idea of re-debuting the group, though the statement didn’t reveal which. That said, they did confirm that they’re currently “looking into” these agencies, likely with the hope of convincing them to join. Nothing is set in stone yet and no contracts have been signed, but if said negotiations go well, it’s possible that IZ*ONE may really come together as a 12-member group once more.
Read the full Parallel Universe Project statement here:
For the past two months, each of the members’ agencies has received multiple proposals regarding the relaunch of IZ*ONE from the team of IZ*ONE Relaunch Project admins. Some agencies have responded to the proposals and with those agencies, the team has met up with a spokesperson. The fundraising platform WADIZ has also been in these meetings with the agencies’ representatives.
The team focused on approaching these individual agencies strategically. That being said, one entertainment management agency has since taken on the task of negotiating with the individual member agencies about the members’ contracts.
The team has also verified that except one Korean agency and one Japanese office, all other parties involved agree with the idea of IZ*ONE’s relaunch and that they are working favorably with the negotiating agency. We’re looking into the said Korean agency and the Japanese office who have not yet responded.
— Parallel Universe Project, WADIZ
CJ ENM has now confirmed discussions with the members’ agencies.
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