‘Always Lalisa’ Doc About K-Pop’s Lisa Sets Imax, Theatrical And Streaming Release Dates
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Sony Music Vision has confirmed release plans for Always Lalisa, a feature documentary following Blackpink star Lisa, which will open in IMAX and cinemas worldwide for a limited run from 12 October via Trafalgar Releasing before streaming exclusively on YouTube Premium later this year. Directed by Sue Kim, the film charts a pivotal year in which Lisa steps away from Blackpink to pursue "a year of independence," exploring the pressures of launching a solo career, breaking into acting and building a personal brand while trying to preserve some life away from public attention.
The documentary lands amid a high-profile stretch for the singer, who performed "Goals" with Anitta and Rema at the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, played Coachella 2025 as a solo act, and became the first K-pop artist on the Met Gala host committee. She has also moved into acting, making her debut in HBO's The White Lotus, and has two Netflix projects lined up: starring in and executive-producing the action film Tygo and an untitled romantic comedy in development. Her new EP, Press Play, follows on 23 October, and the documentary is produced by Sony Music Vision with RCA Records, Tremolo Productions, Salt Water Productions and LLOUD CO.
- Always Lalisa documentary hits IMAX/cinemas worldwide from 12 October
- Streams exclusively on YouTube Premium after its theatrical run
- Follows Lisa's solo career, acting debut and new EP launch
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Blackpink is one of the biggest K-pop groups in the world, and Lisa is one of its four members. Away from the group, she has been building a solo career, including music, acting and brand ventures, which the documentary Always Lalisa follows during what is described as a "year of independence" for her.
The film is directed by Sue Kim and made by Sony Music Vision alongside RCA Records and several production companies. It comes as Lisa has been increasingly visible individually, including acting work such as HBO's The White Lotus, upcoming Netflix projects, and high-profile performances, which has fuelled interest in a closer look at her solo journey.
Full account
A new feature documentary tracing K-pop star Lisa's first solo year away from Blackpink, titled Always Lalisa, has been given release dates spanning cinemas, IMAX screens and streaming. Sony Music Vision, which announced the plans, said the film would open worldwide for a limited theatrical run from 12 October, with IMAX tickets going on sale from 9 September, before it later becomes available exclusively through YouTube Premium. The documentary is directed by Sue Kim and was made with Sony Music Vision, RCA Records and Tremolo Productions, alongside Salt Water Productions and LLOUD CO, with Kim and Courtney Crockett producing for Salt Water.
The film is described as an intimate portrait of a demanding period in Lisa's career, covering the anxiety and expectation that came with stepping out from Blackpink to build a solo identity, try her hand at acting and shape a personal brand, all while trying to protect some private space away from public scrutiny. Kim has said she considered it a privilege to follow Lisa through what she called a thrilling and transformative stretch of her life, adding that the footage captures unguarded moments audiences have not previously seen. Lisa herself has spoken of the year as one of considerable luck and joy, framing the collaboration with Kim as the start of further projects to come rather than a one-off undertaking.
Coverage of the announcement placed the documentary within a busier stretch of Lisa's solo output. She released her debut full-length solo album, and reporting linked the film's arrival to the broader rollout of new music, including a further EP, Press Play, due on 23 October and previewed by the single 'Sawadika', which explores her Thai heritage more directly. Beyond music, accounts of her past year point to a string of high-profile appearances and ventures: a performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony alongside Anitta and Rema, a solo set at Coachella in 2025, a place on the host committee for the 2026 Met Gala as the first K-pop artist to hold that role, a television acting debut on HBO's The White Lotus, and two announced Netflix projects, one an action film she will star in and executive produce and the other an as-yet-untitled romantic comedy still in development. Further ahead, she is set to become the first K-pop artist to hold a residency in Las Vegas, beginning in November.
Sony Music Vision's president, Tom Mackay, framed the release as a chance to extend the connection between Lisa and her fanbase beyond music, saying the pairing of a cinema run with a global streaming partner was intended to make the film accessible to audiences wherever they are. The two accounts of the announcement differ somewhat in focus: one leans heavily on cataloguing Lisa's wider 2025-26 activities and confirms the involvement of distributor Trafalgar Releasing and the film's production partners, while the other gives more weight to the documentary's origins and quotes from Kim and Lisa dating back to when filming began, alongside additional context such as the IMAX on-sale date, the Las Vegas residency and a recent social media post from Lisa marking Blackpink's tenth anniversary. Neither account gives a running time or further detail on what specific footage the film contains beyond the broad description of a year balancing solo ambition with a desire for privacy.
Where outlets differ
One source names Trafalgar Releasing as the theatrical distributor and details the production companies involved (Sony Music Vision, RCA Records, Tremolo Productions, Salt Water Productions, LLOUD CO); the other omits these specifics.
One source focuses on cataloguing Lisa's broader recent career activities (World Cup opening ceremony, Coachella, Met Gala host committee, White Lotus acting debut, two Netflix projects); the other omits most of this and instead centres on the documentary's backstory and direct quotes from director Sue Kim and Lisa herself from when filming began.
Only one source gives the IMAX ticket on-sale date (9 September) and a quote from Sony Music Vision president Tom Mackay.
Only one source mentions Lisa's debut solo album (framed as her first full-length after the 2021 EP 'Lalisa'), her upcoming Las Vegas residency as the first K-pop artist to do one, and her recent Instagram post marking Blackpink's tenth anniversary.
Both agree on the 12 October theatrical date and the subsequent exclusive YouTube Premium streaming window, and both cite 23 October as the release date for the Press Play EP, though only one source mentions the preceding single 'Sawadika' and its 3 September release.
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