Cannes: Thai Horror '3AM Part 2' Sells Widely in Asia
Patrick Brzeski
5/16/2013
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The 3D omnibus sequel from Thailand's Five Star Production gets picked up for Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia.
Thailand's Five Star Production had a busy first day at the Cannes market, selling 3AM (3D) – Part 2 to a slew of territories in Asia by the end of Wednesday.
Like the first film in the company's budding 3AM franchise from 2012, Part 2 is comprised of three chapters -- from directors Putipong Saisrikaew, Kirati Nakintanon, and Issara Nadee -- that each tell a scary story that takes place at 3am. The concept has built-in appeal to the cultures of Southeast Asia: folk traditions from various countries in the region say that 3am is the scariest hour of the day, and the time when ghosts are most likely to reveal themselves to the living. The company has targeted a late fall release for the film.
3AM (3D) – Part 2 so far has sold to Passion Entertainment (Hong Kong and Macau), Soundspace International Limited (Cambodia, Myanmar, Timor Leste, Vietnam), and Clover Flims (Singapore, Malaysia and Brunai). Five Star says deals in Indonesia and Europe are under discussion. China, which always has a large appetite for 3D, is very unlikely to bite, given that ghost films are generally forbidden by the country's censors.
"The first 3AM film was the best performing Thai movie at several of these regional box offices," said Amy Lamphungphorn, Five Star's head of international sales. "We're happy to see that this has translated into brisk sales for the sequel so far."
hollywoodreporter.com