With homegrown animation “9 Satra” picking up more than Bt100 million in box office takings earlier this year, hopes are high that “Krut Mahayut Himmaphan” (“Krut: The Himmaphan Warriors”) an epic war story about fantasy creatures in the Himmaphan forest, will do even better.

The animation starts with a battle between the monster Raksod and the kingdom of Krut, which is all but decimated in the war. The nine remaining garuda warriors led by Watchara Krut fly across the vast Natee Sidantara Ocean seeking help from Himmaphan Warriors, among them Kochasee (a half-elephant half-lion creature), Norasingha (a half-lion half-human creature) and Kinnaree (a half-bird half-human creature). They agree and the Himmaphan alliance joins forces to fight against the brutal annihilation by coldhearted creatures who want to conquer the world.

“Krut” is different from other commercial productions in that it comes not from a studio but Rangsit University’s digital art faculty though it has still been made by a group of professional animators led by Chaiporn Panichrutiwong, who is also a lecturer at the faculty.

The project was born when the university’s president and founder Dr Arthit Ourairat asked Chaiporn to come up with an animation centred on the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Chaiporn agreed and with an Bt80-million budget in hand, convinced the founder of Rangsit University to make it as a feature film.

Chaiporn then took the idea to acclaimed director Wisit Sasanatieng asking him to write the script. Wisit agreed in turn but also came up with another idea – adding the Himmaphan forest to the story.

Each character, says the director, is based on historical fact. Watchara Krut is inspired by Phraya Vachiraprakarn – the courageous solider who helped liberate Ayutthaya from Burmese occupation in 1767. He went on to establish the city of Thonburi as the new capital, as Ayutthaya had been almost completely destroyed by the invaders.

“Creating human characters in 3D doesn’t impart a sense of flesh and blood, at least not to me. It’s stiff, the eyes of the characters are lifeless and they have no spirit. So presenting the story in the fantasy Himmaphan world is a better option and it also allows room to add more ideas into the story as well as character details,” says the director.

For Chaiporn, the Krut or garuda character is perfect as the hero, its smart character and winged appearance making it more like a soldier than other Himmaphan characters like the Naga or snake.

The other characters like Kochasee, Norasingha and Kinnaree represent cities on Thailand’s east coasts – Rayong, Chantaburi and Trat – where King Taksin sought allies before returning to fight the Burmese troops and finally proclaim sovereignty from Burma. Another character, Phichai Krut, is reminiscent of King Taksin’s warrior Phraya Phichai, while the city of Krut is the Ayutthya Kingdom.

“Taking this approach made us really enjoy the creative process and allowed more imagination to flow into the story. Many scenes in the animation will probably remind audiences of Siam’s history when we lost Ayutthaya for the second time, but they can also enjoy the movie without thinking about the historical background,” says Chaiporn.

The director of 2002’s “Pang Pon the Animation” – Thailand’s first 3D animation – Chaiporn is co-directing the film with Prapas Chonsaranon, who helped write the script for Workpoint Entertainment’s “Yak: The Giant King”.

The most difficult part in this project, he adds, is directing the movements of the main character Krut. “I don’t want the character moving swiftly like animation characters usually do. For “Krut”, less is more and it makes the character appear more powerful. Sometimes he just stands still and we just add a small amount of motion – like moving his eyes or his shoulder,” he says.

Chaiporn says he was inspired by the face of the actor Nadech Kugimiya, a former student at the RSU’s faculty of communication arts, in designing Watchara Krut.

“His face has elements that fit the garuda’s character particularly his thick eyebrows,” he explains.

Four years ago, the first movie poster he presented to Dr Arthit named Nadech as the star and Chaiporn was hoping he would voice the part.

That idea faded while he was working on the animation and realised it wouldn’t be easy to convince a superstar like Nadech, alumnus or not, to work on the project.

And so Chaiporn decided to use professional dubbing actors led by Rong Kaomoonkadee and Montree Jenaksorn, both of whom have won critical acclaim for their work.

Then came a surprise – Nadech asked Chaiporn if he could do the voiceover. The director was quick to agree and has been delighted with the result.

“It wasn’t easy for him as this was the first time he’s done a voiceover. He spent three to four hours a day working on it and he’s done a great job, so much so that many people even don’t recognise his voice. And of course having Nadech on the credits benefits the marketing strategy as well.”

There is, of course, nothing new about using big stars to voice animations – Hollywood does it all the time to boost marketing. Chaiporn, though, says in general he prefers professional voice actors, “I worry that if we use big names, their dubbing won’t sit well with the characters, and that means they will be less convincing. Nadech is an exception because I created Watchara Krut based on him,” he says.

Growing up with Thai, Japanese and American animations, Chaiporn says that the spirit of Thainess shows through in his work. “It’s in the details like Hanuman’s eyebrows, a take on the traditional Thai painting style known as laay. In this film, laay is added into the Naga’s skin and its scales.

Chaiporn is also quick to stress that even though the film has been funded by an educational institute, it has been made by a professional team with experience in making animations. Some students were of course involved, but their contributions were limited to model making and drawing.

“This animation is uncompromising and not appropriate for young children as some of the scenes are violent. I don’t want to make a lighthearted animation suitable for young children, I want to make an animation for adults to enjoy. With its war content, watching “Krut” is like watching a war epic like “Tamnan Somdej Phra Naresuan Maharaj” or “Suriyothai,” he adds.

And part of the budget has also been used to fund a new digital animation centre for the university.

“They are glad to become the first university to make an animation for wide audience. The new facility is great but the project has also created new human resources for the animation business,” he says.

The sixth Thailand International Film Destination Festival is back and from today until Sunday, cinephiles can enjoy movies featuring the Kingdom at Paragon Cineplex.

The festival, which aims to promote Thailand as the “World’s Best Film Location”, has as its theme “Colourful Thailand A True Sense of Thailand’s Film Destinations”, and focuses on the diversity of eight tourism clusters defined by the TAT, showcasing their beauty, traditions, and culture.

Last year, more than 810 foreign films, TV shows, music videos and documentaries were shot in Thailand, generating Bt3 billion. This was largely thanks to Thailand’s incentive measures, which attract filmmakers from around the world, and saw the filming of US movies “Changeland” and “Triple Threat”.

As ever, the festival includes a short film competition. “This year, the activity follows the government’s policy in promoting tourism in Thailand, focusing on the eight clusters and in line with the strategies for tourism and sufficiency economy concept. For this reason, we invited Thai and international students to illustrate the beauty of Thailand through their films,” Anan Wongbenjarat, director general of the Department of Tourism, explains.

The invitation drew applications from 277 teams in 39 countries and this number was eventually whittled down to 24, who headed off to the eight clusters to focus on presenting the Thai way of life, natural beauty, culture and local traditions of from their own perceptions. Eight prizes will be given out to the winning team of each cluster and a Grand Prize will be given to the winner.

On the Thai side, 36 teams signed up and 15 were selected to make a short film on the sufficiency economy. The judges include film directors such as Nonzee Nimibutr, Pratchaya Pinkaew, Soros Sukhum, and Sophon Sakdaphisit and they will be handing out one Grand Prize as well as awards to two runners up.

The results will be announced next Tuesday at a star-studded awards ceremony at KBank Pic-Ganesha, Siam Square One.

The highlight of the festival is “Thailand on Screen”, which this year brings seven films  three American (“Kick Boxer 1”, “Kick Boxer 2” and “All I See is You”) and films from Japan, Korea, Sweden and France that have generated a buzz among international viewers. They’re all being screened at the cineplex free of charge from today through Sunday.

Reservations can be made by calling (097) 045 8526 or be going along to the Paragon Cineplex ticket booth.

Find out more at http://www.ThailandFilmDestination.com

Television industry watchers are expecting past winners to relive old glories today as Hollywood’s awards season kicks into high gear with the announcement of the Emmy nominations.

The Television Academy’s 22,000-plus members were given two weeks last month to sift through a crowded field of several thousand entries for the small-screen equivalent of the Oscars.

Critics agree that it hasn’t been a vintage year for new TV, with very few shows breaking through. Still, perennial favourites have largely delivered and the medium continues to out-innovate cinema.

“As someone who has traditionally been more about movies than TV, the richness of the small screen landscape these days genuinely excites me,” says Hollywood entertainment journalist and producer Simon Thompson.

“It’s taking risks that Hollywood is still hesitant to take, and so far they are paying off.”

Pundits say that while perennial awards darlings like “Saturday Night Live” have been tapped to bag the most trophies come September, the race for the most nominations remains up in the air.

The Emmys recognise shows that were on in the 12 months to May 31, meaning several big-hitters are absent, from “Better Call Saul” to “House of Cards” and “Veep,” shows that have earned almost 100 nominations combined.

Netflix’s “House of Cards” has been keeping a low profile since its star, double Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, became embroiled in Hollywood’s sexual misconduct scandal, and returns next year minus its star.

HBO’s “Game of Thrones” made television history in 2016, becoming the most decorated fictional show since the awards began nearly seven decades ago, and returns after a year off.

That means the defending drama champion from 2016 will be pitted against last year’s winner, Hulu’s dystopian scifi series “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which is also the 2018 favourite.

Other nominations are likely to come from NBC’s family drama “This Is Us” and HBO’s dark sci-fi western “Westworld”, Netflix hits “Stranger Things” and “The Crown,” and FX Cold War spy show “The Americans”.

The most star-studded category, as ever, is best actor in a limited series or TV movie.

The contenders include Al Pacino (“Paterno”), Kyle MacLachlan (“Twin Peaks”), Benedict Cumberbatch (“Patrick Melrose”) and Michael B Jordan (“Fahrenheit 451”).

The early money for the win in September is on a much lesser-known face, Darren Criss (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace”).

“Versace” is one of the few serious contenders this year that can claim to be entirely new, although it is part of FX’s “American Crime Story” brand from the mind of Emmys mainstay Ryan Murphy.

The followup to the acclaimed “The People v OJ Simpson” (2016) is expected to dominate the acting races among the limited series and TV movies – with Penelope Cruz, Judith Light and Edgar Ramirez also hoping for nominations.

The absence of “Veep” is seen as breath of fresh air by many critics, since the HBO comedy and its star Julia LouisDreyfus, out much of 2017 and 2018 with breast cancer, bag Emmys year in, year out.

Its mantle will likely pass to “Atlanta”, the FX comedy created by and starring Donald Glover.

Returning after a two-decade hiatus, “Roseanne” was one of the few depictions of working-class life on US television in the last 12 months, and also of Trump supporters otherwise largely ignored by Hollywood.

But its 65-year-old star Roseanne Barr – a vocal Trump backer who has tweeted farright and conspiracy theorist views – was dropped by ABC last month after making a racist slur on Twitter.

“The fact that so many people in the show, on and off screen, will likely miss out on the acclaim they deserve because of Roseanne Barr’s action is a real shame,” Thompson says.

The New York Post’s Robert Rorke believes that one show that has gone somewhat under the radar, BBC America’s crime drama series “Killing Eve”, deserves to pick up the “dark horse” votes.

“Stars Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer deserve lead actress nominations for their refreshing, offbeat performances, especially given the usual suspects likely to be nominated,” he says.

Second round voting takes place in August while the ceremony itself will be beamed live from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on September 17 on CBS – hosted by “Saturday Night Live” duo Colin Jost and Michael Che.

The complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in May, accused POW! Entertainment CEO Shane Duffy and co-founder Gill Champion of failing to disclose fully to Lee details of the firm’s 2017 sale to Camsing International.

The entertainment icon contended that they took advantage of him at a time when he was despondent over the death of his wife Joan and suffering from macular degeneration, a condition affecting the eyes.

“The whole thing has been confusing to everyone, including myself and the fans, but I am now happy to be surrounded by those who want the best for me,” Lee said in statement circulated among US media.

“I am thrilled to put the lawsuit behind me, get back to business with my friends and colleagues at POW! and launch the next wave of amazing characters and stories!”

The announcement comes amid a struggle over Lee’s fortune, estimated at more than $50 million, and concerns about his mental and physical health since Joan’s death last year.

The 95-year-old co-creator of many superhero characters, including Black Panther and Spider-Man, alleged that he was duped into signing a fraudulent agreement that gave POW! exclusive rights to his name, identity and likeness.

According to the lawsuit, Lee was unable to read the document due to his eye condition, and doesn’t remember anyone reading it to him, suggesting that his signature may have been forged, copied or induced.

“In addition, POW! took control of Lee’s personal social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, thereby impersonating Lee before a combined 15 million followers worldwide,” the complaint read.

There was no immediate response from POW! Entertainment to the termination and Lee’s representatives were not available, but Duffy said in a statement published by the London-based Guardian newspaper that he was “ecstatic” over the demise of the “ill-founded” suit.

“We recently got together with Stan to discuss our path forward and we and Camsing are pleased with his overwhelmingly enthusiastic reaction,” he added.

In mid-June a Los Angeles court issued a temporary restraining order against Keya Morgan, a man who had been taking care of Lee and has denied accusations of elder abuse.

The order has since been dismissed following confusion in court over who was supposed to be representing the comic book icon.

In April it emerged that Lee was being sued by massage therapist Maria Carballo for sexual assault and battery, which he has denied.

The superhero movie has outpaced the opening weekend for 2015’s “Ant-Man” by about a third, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported.

The 20th release in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe sees ex-con Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) languishing under house arrest in San Francisco after being caught as his shrinkable superhero alter-ego fighting some of the other Avengers in “Captain America: Civil War” (2016).

Struggling to balance home life and his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by old flame Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), alias the Wasp, with an urgent new mission.

The dynamic insect duo far surpassed sales for the weekend’s runner-up, Universal’s “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” which is in its third week and has already passed the $1 billion mark globally.

The movie, which took $28.6 million, has Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard struggling to contain dinosaurs rescued from a tropical Pacific island and sheltered temporarily at a California mansion.

A shade behind at $28.4 million was “Incredibles 2” — a big enough weekend to push the superhero adventure past Pixar stablemate “Finding Dory” (2016) as the top-grossing animated film of all time.

Written and directed by Brad Bird, who helmed the original, the sequel has earned $503.8 million at home and another $268.5 abroad.

Fourth spot went to another Universal-distributed film, the newly released “The First Purge,” at $17.4 million.

The dystopian horror — the fourth movie in the series — is a prequel set during the original “purge,” a 12-hour period when all crime is legal but certain government officials may not be harmed.

In fifth was Sony’s “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” with $7.6 million in its second week. The action thriller has Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin teaming up to fight drug cartels smuggling terrorists across the Mexican border.

All the top five were sequels or prequels, Exhibitor Relations noted.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

“Uncle Drew” ($6.6 million)

“Ocean’s 8” ($5.1 million)

“Tag” ($3 million)

“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” ($2.6 million)

“Deadpool 2” ($1.7 million)

The buzzy film, a sequel to 2015’s “Ant-Man,” has outpaced that movie’s opening weekend by about 33 percent in ticket sales, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported.

It is the 20th release in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe series of comic book movies, and the first to feature a woman in the title.

This time, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) languishes under house arrest in San Francisco after being caught as his shrinkable superhero alter-ego fighting some of the other Avengers in “Civil War.”

Struggling to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by Hope Van Dyne (the Wasp, played by Evangeline Lilly) and her father, the brilliant quantum physicist Hank Pym, with an urgent new mission.

The cast includes Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer and Bobby Cannavale.

The dynamic insect duo far surpassed the three-day revenues of the weekend’s second-place movie, “Incredibles 2” from Disney and Pixar, which took in $29 million.

But that was enough to push it past “Finding Dory” as the top-grossing animated film of all time, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Incredibles 2” has reached $504 million in total domestic ticket sales and more than $700 million worldwide, Exhibitor Relations said.

Craig T. Nelson plays the voice of torso-heavy Mr Incredible while Holly Hunter voices his stretchable wife in the family-friendly flick.

In third spot, at $28.6 million, was “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” from Universal, which in its third week has already passed the $1 billion mark globally. The film has Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard struggling to contain dinosaurs rescued from a Caribbean island and sheltered — temporarily, dinosaurs being dinosaurs — in a California mansion.

Fourth spot went to another Universal film, newly released “The First Purge,” at $17.2 million.

The dystopian horror film, starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey, is a prequel set during the original “Purge,” a 12-hour period when all crime is legal but certain government officials may not be harmed.

In fifth was “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” from Sony, at $7.3 million in its second week. The action thriller has Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin teaming up to fight drug cartels smuggling “terrorists” across the Mexican border.

All the top five were sequels (or prequels), Exhibitor Relations noted.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

“Uncle Drew” ($6.6 million)

“Ocean’s 8” ($5.3 million)

“Tag” ($3.1 million)

“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” ($2.6 million)

“Deadpool 2” ($1.7 million)

Police in New York said he was found in his apartment on June 29, according to the Hollywood Reporter. No cause of death has been confirmed.

Born in 1927 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Ditko worked alongside the then-future Marvel Comics CEO Stan Lee in the early 1960s. It was Ditko who came up with Spider-Man’s iconic red and blue suit, complete with web-shooters.

“Today, the Marvel family mourns the loss of Steve Ditko. Steve transformed the industry and the Marvel Universe, and his legacy will never be forgotten,” Marvel Entertainment President Dan Buckley said in a statement Saturday.

Ditko, a reclusive figure who is thought to have never married, had left Marvel by 1966, reportedly due to a disagreement with Lee.

He went on to work for other publishers — including DC Comics, where he created characters such as The Creeper — but did draw for Marvel again from in 1979.

“Of course, he is best known for co-creating Spider-Man but he also ushered in a slew of unique, very personal and eclectic characters for DC such as the Question, Blue Beetle, Hawk and Dove and more,” said DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee on Twitter.

“Polite and unassuming–he never sought attention or the limelight but in many ways represented the hidden hero he saw in all of us,” he added.

Elsewhere on social media, fans paid tribute to Ditko alongside images of his work — hailed by many for its unique, zany style.

“RIP to comic book legend Steve Ditko, beyond influential on countless planes of existence.”, wrote film director Edgar Wright, whose works include Shaun of the Dead (2004).

Meanwhile, author Neil Gaiman reflected: “Steve Ditko was true to his own ideals. He saw things his own way, and he gave us ways of seeing that were unique. Often copied. Never equalled.”

The story centres on reporter Camille Preaker (Adams) who returns to her small hometown to cover the murder of one preteen girl and the abduction of another. Trying to put together a psychological puzzle from her past, she finds herself identifying with the young victims a bit too closely.

Based on Gillian Flynn’s bestselling novel of the same name, the eightepisode series is the work of Marti Noxon and directed by JeanMarc Vallee from scripts by Noxon and Flynn.

“Sharp Objects” was filmed in Los Angeles and Northern California, and in and around Atlanta.

“‘Sharp Objects’ is my first child, my first novel,” says author Flynn. “I wrote it nights and weekends and holidays with no real belief it would ever be published, because I felt like I had to bring this girl to life, so it holds a sacred place with me. It’s a strange and thrilling thing, bringing text to screen, allowing it to become a new thing while honoring readers’ interpretations too – it’s fun and a bit scary.

“This was my first novel, yet the last to reach screen – 12 long and often disappointing years. But then Amy came along, and I thought, ‘Oh, that was it! Camille was waiting for Amy to play her.’ And that’s not lofty, writer talk. I really believe Camille needed Amy,” she adds.

“It’s curious how we can find beauty in places we wouldn’t expect. How darkness sometimes can become attractive, comforting. This is what happened to me when I read Gillian’s novel. I got sucked into Camille’s head. I was falling for this character. Never met, never seen, nor heard anyone like this before,” says Vallee.

Creator Marti Noxon adds: “When I first read this book, I remember thinking to myself, ‘I have to meet Gillian Flynn – she’s really screwed up like I am’. This is a story that speaks to a part of women’s lives that we rarely address: our impulse to hurt ourselves and each other. And I feel like Camille is representative of so many women who have continually suppressed the damage that has been done to them throughout their lives, and how in an effort to avoid dealing with the root of our issues we inflict pain onto ourselves, in various forms.

“It’s something I could personally relate to, and to see this character who is deeply flawed, but still incredibly brave in her search for the truth, was part of why this story stayed with me for so long after reading it – and it was that lingering hold that made me want to adapt it into a series.”

New episodes premiere every Monday at the same time and repeat on the same day at 9pm on HBO.

Catch up on past episodes anytime on HBO GO via AIS Play and AIS PlayBox.

The entertainment media was out in force late last week, reporters turning out in their hundreds to a conference room in Seoul’s Gangnam district to hear more about one of the most anticipated drama series of 2018. The series in question is “Mr Sunshine” and for once non-Korean fans won’t have to wait months to see it thanks to Netflix, which is bringing it to the US and most Asian viewers on Saturday followed by Japan on Sunday and the rest of the world on July 19.

The 24-episode series, estimated to have cost 40 billion won (Bt1.2 billion), is the third collaboration between talented scriptwriter Kim Eunsook and director Lee Eungbok, the pair behind “Descendants of the Sun” and “Goblin”. “Mr Sunshine” also marks the return to the small screen of South Korean superstar Lee Byunghun, who famously played the lead in the espionage action thriller “Iris” but has focused more on movies in recent years.

Based in Shinmiyangyo, the US expedition to Korea in the late 19th century, “Mr Sunshine” tells the story of a Korean boy born into a family of house servants who runs away to board an American warship and later returns to his homeland as a US marine officer. Ironically, he falls in love with an aristocrat’s daughter and discovers the dark scheme to colonise the country from which he once fled. Lee Byunghun, who played Storm Shadow in the “GI Joe” series and Han Cho Bai in “Red 2”, takes on the role of the US marine officer Choi Eugene, while Kim Taeri, who came into the spotlight with Park Chanwook’s “The Handmaiden” makes her TV series debut as the aristocrat’s daughter, Go Aesin. Yoo Yeonseok, Byun Yohan and Kim Minjung, the latter replacing Kim Sarang in the role of Kudo Hina, also star.

The combined power of Kim Eunsook and Lee Eungbok earns the credit for drawing the superstar cast.

“I joined the team a little bit later than the rest of the cast. I was thrilled when I read the script and there was no reason for me to say no. It’s the first time I have joined a project that had already gone a long way so his is pretty new to me,” says the actress.

Kudo Hina is sold by her father to a rich old Japanese man and inherits his wealth when he dies five years later.

Unlike other movies or TV dramas that usually tell patriotic stories set during the years when Japan ruled Korea, “Mr Sunshine” takes place decades earlier, towards the end of the nineteenth century.

“My character is a Korean-American. I think it’s the first time I’ve played an American character in a Korean drama. Eugene is very different. He is not a patriot. In fact, he has a lot of negative sentiments towards Joseon and wants to get his revenge on the country. That made the role unique and interesting for me,” says Lee Byunghun.

Next year marks the centenary of the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and so the series is a good opportunity to celebrate the occasion and teach the audience more about Korean history.

“A lot of countries have been invaded by foreign countries and there has always been a fight. I think this is a common sentiment and one that non-Koreans easily relate to. To be honest, we weren’t really thinking of foreign markets when we were making the series, but if you look at our main characters you will see that the patriots were fighting for this country and I think a lot of overseas viewers will be able to relate to that,” says the director.

Lee Byunghun agrees, adding that the 1871 Shinmiyangyo, the first American military action in Korea and the subsequent Japanese annexation of its ports saw a great deal of political turmoil.

“I think a lot of people will look at this without knowing much about the historical background but that’s not important. Essentially this is a story about people and it’s the relationships between these people that make up the focal point of the drama. So even if you don’t understand the backdrop, you will be able to follow and get immersed in the story,” he says.

“For global viewers, it may be a little more difficult. They know little about Korean culture or history so I wonder how they will be able to digest the story.”

It shouldn’t be a problem, Fans of Kim’s earlier hits such as “Secret Garden”, “On Air”, “The Heirs” and even “Descendants of the Sun”, will merely see “Mr Sunshine” as a romantic drama with historical turmoil in the background. One of the writer’s signatures is inserting some cheesy lines into the script and there are here in “Mr Sunshine” too.

“She has certain lines like that prepared. But as actors, we don’t know what lines are going to attract attention. That will be determined by the viewers so we just act it out and then they catch something and start saying ‘oh that was interesting’ and then it becomes a famous oneliner,” says actor Lee, admitting that it took him a while to get used to her language.

“It’s the first time I’ve worked with her. She seems to have her own language and her own way of expressing herself. It was a bit awkward for me at first but I soon got used to expressing myself like that. Let’s just see what comes the next,” he adds.

Another of Kim Eun Suk’s more famous quirks is her genius for writing Cinderella stories. This doesn’t seem to have washed into “Mr Sunshine” as Go Aeshin, the daughter of a high-ranking an aristocrat turns out to be a secret anti-Japanese fighter.

“She’s also fighting for the Joseon dynasty so she’s kind of caught between these two different personalities. She’s a very complex, sophisticated and layered character and whenever I had frustrations and difficulties, I asked the director for help and tried hard not to make her a twodimensional flat character,” says Kim Taeri.

This is the first time a Korean drama will be airing globally via Netflix on the same day as in Korea and that’s a completely new experience even for Lee Byunghun.

“Even when I starred in Hollywood movies, the release dates would be slightly different. So this is the first time I’m seeing a Korean drama being premiered in 190 countries so that everyone in the world can watch the series at the same time. It’s exciting,” her says.

“Mr Sunshine” will stream on Netflix starting on Saturday with new episodes showing every Saturday and Sunday, the same day as the Korean broadcast.

Acclaimed director Tom Lin is in charge of a cast including Lee Sinje, Hiroshi Abe, John Hannah, David Oakes, Serene Lim and Tan Kheng Hua.

Malaysian Lee Sinje plays the lead role of Teoh Yun Ling in the 1950s and Taiwanese actress-director-producer Sylvia Chang takes up the role in the 1980s.

Hiroshi Abe portrays Nakamura Aritomo, the exiled Japanese gardener with whom Yun Ling is romantically involved. British actors David Oakes (“The White Queen, Victoria”) and Julian Sands (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) play Frederik Gemmell in the 1950s and the 1980s, while John Hannah (“Four Weddings and A Funeral”, “The Mummy” trilogy) is Magnus Gemmell.

Up-and-coming Malaysian actress Serene Lim plays Teoh Yun Hong; Yun Ling’s sister.

“Over two-thirds of the cast and crew are Malaysians, signalling Astro’s commitment to nurturing local talent for international exposure,” said Astro chief Najwa Abu Bakar.

“We are also privileged to work with talents of diverse backgrounds from Taiwan, Japan, India and Australia to showcase Malaysia’s unique voice through Tan Twan Eng’s award-winning novel.

“The lyrical and beautiful story captivates its readers with the mesmerising beauty of Malaya after World War II and we are confident that the vivid adaptation will resonate among Asian audiences and beyond, due to many similarities in shared culture, language and history.”

HBO Asia is “committed to ramping up its slate of original productions”, said its senior vice president, Jessica Kam.

“We are thrilled to partner with Astro Shaw to produce this extraordinary feature film with a Malaysian soul by world-class film professionals, and to showcase it to our audience on our digital, linear and on-demand platforms across 23 territories in Asia and beyond.”

As Yun Ling narrates her story, the audience is taken through a series of post-war flashbacks. Yun Hong’s death haunts her, as does her relationship with the Japanese gardener who helps her build a garden in memory of her sister.

The movie is slated for a theatrical world premiere next year.