‘Always Lalisa,’ a new documentary directed by Sue Kim and produced by Sony Music Vision, will world premiere in the Gala programme at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival
The film chronicles a pivotal year in LISA’s life as she steps away from BLACKPINK for the first time since childhood, navigating the pressures of a solo music career, an acting debut, and brand-building on a global scale
The production is backed by a multi-label structure spanning RCA Records, Tremolo Productions, Salt Water Productions, and LLOUD CO, with Morgan Neville among the executive producers
Sony Music Vision has officially announced Always Lalisa, a feature-length documentary following LISA through what may be the most consequential solo year any K-pop artist has ever had. Directed by Sue Kim, the film will make its world premiere in the Gala programme at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, arriving at a moment when the BLACKPINK member’s solo footprint has expanded so far beyond music that a documentary feels less like a promotional exercise and more like a necessary piece of cultural record-keeping.
The film’s narrative backbone is built around a single, structurally dramatic premise: for the first time since childhood, LISA has stepped away from BLACKPINK for a full year of independence. That framing turns the documentary into something more than a concert film or behind-the-scenes access reel. It is a clock-driven story about confronting the fear and pressure of launching a solo career, pursuing acting, and building a brand, all while holding space for a personal life that exists beyond the reach of the spotlight, and all with the understanding that the year has a fixed endpoint marked by her return to the group.
What makes the timing so potent is the sheer density of what LISA compressed into that window. In the span of roughly 12 months, she performed at the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Anitta and Rema, becoming the first female K-pop artist and the first Thai artist to take that stage. She played Coachella 2025 as a solo act; made her acting debut in HBO’s The White Lotus; and served on the 2026 Met Gala host committee, marking another first for a K-pop artist. She presented at the 2026 Golden Globes; covered Vanity Fair’s Summer 2026 issue; announced two Netflix projects, and became the first K-pop artist to hold a Las Vegas residency, with her four-show VIVA LA LISA run at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace selling out in under 10 minutes.
That is a year in which a single artist crossed from music into film, from festival stages into institutional fashion, and from touring into residency, and did all of it as a series of firsts. BLACKPINK had already established LISA as one of the most followed individuals on the planet, with a social media reach that regularly outpaces entire entertainment conglomerates. But the solo year reframed her as a self-sustaining cultural entity operating across every major entertainment vertical simultaneously.
Always Lalisa world premieres at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. Stay tuned for a wider release date.
