Netflix announces Southeast Asian slate of original films and series for 2024

Clockwise from top left: “Doctor Climax,” “Terror Tuesday: Extreme,” “The Shadow Stray,” “Borderless Fog,” “Joko Anwar’s Nightmares & Daydreams,” and “Outside.”

Netflix

In less than a decade, Netflix has become a production major in Southeast Asia, a fact underscored last week at a presentation by the streamer in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, where it showcased its latest slate of original local films and series.

Through aggressive and consistent investments in original film production, Netflix has carved out a market-leading position in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, and those three countries were the focus of the June 13 presentation. Along with a host of announcements, trailers, first look stills and clips, Netflix revealed news on not one but two zombie projects, a historical sex comedy, Thai sci-fi, more horror and action from Indonesia, and a serial killer thriller that could find a global audience.

Read on to find out details about the biggest SEA titles Netflix showcased.

Abadi Nan Jaya (working title) (Indonesia)

Perhaps the biggest announcement at the Netflix SEA Showcase was the unveiling of star filmmaker Kimo Stamboel’s latest project, his first collaboration with the streaming giant and Indonesia’s first-ever zombie film. The original film, currently under the working title Abadi Nan Jayaappears to be one of the most expensive and largest film production projects the country has ever seen, but Netflix declined to provide specific figures.

Abadi Nan Jaya (WT) is certainly a major undertaking, with most of the film being shot on location in a remote part of Java. The project will be another rarity for Indonesian films, featuring extensive practical special effects and visual effects, and the filmmakers had access to the vast zombie knowledge that Netflix’s Asian teams have gained over the years through hit series such as kingdom And We are all dead.

Netflix says of the story: “It is set in a remote village near Yogyakarta. Abadi Nan Jaya tells the story of a dysfunctional family that runs a renowned herbal medicine business. The company owner attempts to innovate by creating a new potion that ultimately triggers a zombie outbreak.”

Stamboel is one of the most successful names in Indonesian cinema and has made a name for himself in the horror genre with the hits The Queen of Black Magic, Dancing Village: The Curse Begins And Sewu Dino. Abadi Nan Jaya (WT) was written by Stamboel and his long-time collaborators Agasyah Karim and Khalid Kashogi. The cast includes some of Indonesia’s biggest stars, including Eva Celia, Mikha Tambayong, Donny Damara, Dimas Anggara, Marthino Lio, Kiki Narendra and Varen Arianda Calief.

Release date: Planned for 2025

Boundless fog (Indonesia)

The most exciting title from Netflix’s SEA showcase was the sophisticated crime drama Borderless Fog by Indonesian filmmaker Edwin. Due to the genre Boundless fog will break new ground for Indonesian cinema, a country where crime thrillers are a rarity, especially with a woman as the protagonist. The film is also new ground for Edwin, a filmmaker who has made his name with the dramas To pose (2017) and Aruna and her palate (2018) and the black comedy Revenge is mine, everyone else pays cash (2021), the latter won the main prize at the Locarno Film Festival.

Located on the Indonesian-Malaysian border, Boundless fog tells the story of a city detective who is sent to a remote province in Borneo to investigate gruesome serial murders torn by suspicion, superstition and dark forces. The film was shot on location in Kalimantan and, as the first trailer shown to the press shows, is reminiscent of Memories of a murder And silence of the Lambs and the border situation may evoke comparisons with the ever-expanding The bridge Series, but Boundless fog The plot is firmly rooted in Indonesia and contains elements that are unique to the country’s narrative tradition.

Boundless fog The main roles are played by Putri Marino, Yoga Pratama and Lukman Sardi, the screenplay was written by Edwin and Ifan Ismail.

Release date: Sometime in 2024

Joko Anwar’s nightmares and daydreams (Indonesia)

Netflix’s SEA showcase was timed to coincide with the release of Joko Anwar’s nightmares and daydreamsa new horror anthology series from probably the biggest and certainly most prolific name in the Indonesian entertainment industry. With films like Satan’s Slaves, Gundal And ImpetigoryHaving cemented his reputation as a master of the horror genre, Joko Anwar returns to the screen with a seven-part anthology series that is more of a showcase for his collaborators, a group of young, up-and-coming Indonesian writers and filmmakers.

Every episode of Nightmares and daydreams highlights a character grappling with supernatural events that occur between 1985 and 2022. Although each story seems random, there is an interconnectedness and a common thread that becomes clear at the end. In a country that loves horror and where Anwar is the biggest entertainment brand, it is not surprising that Nightmares and daydreams is already the No. 1 title on Netflix in Indonesia.

Release date: June 14

Outside (Philippines)

Everyone loves zombies, right? Netflix certainly does, because last week another zombie movie was presented in Jakarta. Outside comes from the Philippines and is much closer to meeting the streamer than Abadi Nan JayaNetflix played a full clip from the film for the press.

Outside Set in a remote province of the Philippines, an area of ​​small villages, rice paddies and sugar cane fields, it tells the story of a family trying to escape the zombie pandemic by returning to the father’s farm and fortifying it to keep out “the dead.” Unfortunately, there is just as much horror and trauma inside the ancestral home as there is outside the gates.

The film was directed by Carlo Ledesma, the filmmaker of the Australian cult horror film “Found Footage” The tunnel (2011), Outside with Sid Lucero, Beauty Gonzalez and Joel Torre.

Release date: Sometime in 2024

The shadow gets lost (Indonesia)

Another intriguing title that has the potential to find a global audience is the action film The shadow gets lost. The story description on Netflix reads: “Codenamed 13, a 17-year-old trained assassin, is currently suspended due to a sloppy mission in Japan. An encounter with Monji, an 11-year-old boy who lost his mother to a crime syndicate, awakened her conscience. When Monji is captured, 13 is hell-bent on rescuing him, unleashing a trail of devastation by defying her mentor and the organization that recruits her, known as the Shadow.”

According to the clip shown, the film is a true action spectacle that should appeal to fans of the genre. The shadow gets lost With Aurora Ribero, Hanna Malasan, Kristo Immanuel and Adipati Dolken.

The shadow gets lost The film is directed by Timo Tjahjanto, the other half of The Mo Brothers, a filmmaking collective consisting of Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel. Tjahjanto has made an international name for himself in the action and horror genres, and his films include Netflix’s The night takes us (with Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim) and the 2022 action comedy The big 4which became a surprise hit for the streamer and entered Netflix’s top 10 film list in 53 countries.

Release date: Sometime in 2024

Doctor Climax (Thailand)

Netflix announces Thai period sex comedy Doctor Climax as part of the SEA Slate announcement earlier this year. Set in the 1970s, the series stars Chantavit Dhanasevi as a nerdy dermatologist whose life is turned upside down when he moonlights as an anonymous sex columnist for a national newspaper. Trouble ensues when conservative forces in Thailand try to track down Doctor Climax and stop him from corrupting people.

Doctor Climax is notable for its frank discussion of sex and raunchy action and seems to have the potential to be another big hit and follow restaurant drama hunger to find an audience outside Thailand.

The series was developed by Ekachai Uekrongtham and written and directed by Kongdej Jaturanrasmee and Pairach Khumwan. The eight-part series premiered last week and Doctor Climax has already made a strong start, reaching number 1 on Netflix in Thailand.

Release date: June 13

Tomorrow and I (Thailand)

During the Thailand part of the SEA showcase, Netflix also gave a first glimpse into the ambitious Tomorrow and Ia four-episode anthology series. Created by Paween Purijitpanya (Ghost Lab, Body), Tomorrow and IAccording to the Netflix blurb, “explores the intersection of futuristic technologies and Thai culture, and the unimaginable tensions and moral dilemmas that arise from their inevitable conflict.” In any case, the brief glimpse suggested something extensive and significantly different from what Netflix has offered so far in terms of its Thai originals.

Release date: Sometime in 2024