CJ ENM's Fifth Season Tops Netflix Global Charts with 'East of Eden' Drama and Ben Affleck's 'Beasts' Film

CJ ENM announced Thursday that “East of Eden” and “Beasts,” both produced by its global studio Fifth Season, have claimed the No. 1 spots on Netflix’s global charts in the TV series and film categories, respectively.

The double chart-topper was confirmed in a statement released on October 15 and reported by Kookmin Ilbo. It caps a banner year for Fifth Season as CJ ENM pushes deeper into the global content market through overseas production partnerships.

“East of Eden,” released on October 1, hit No. 1 on Netflix’s TV series chart in its first week. The seven-episode drama adapts Nobel laureate John Steinbeck’s novel of the same name. Florence Pugh stars, with Zoe Kazan co-writing and producing a fresh take on the novel’s family saga. Outlets including The Guardian praised the performances and the adaptation.

“Beasts,” released on October 9, topped the film chart. Ben Affleck directed, co-wrote, and stars in the political thriller about a couple thrown into crisis when their son is kidnapped. Kerry Washington and Gillian Anderson co-star.

The results follow a strong first half for the studio: one of its dramas drew 104 million cumulative views in Netflix’s first-half viewing report, the most of any series, while last year Apple TV+‘s “Severance” Season 2 — also a Fifth Season production — won eight Primetime Emmy Awards.

“Through Fifth Season and other production companies, we plan to expand collaboration with overseas creators and continue producing content across diverse genres,” a CJ ENM official said, in a translated statement.