EXCLUSIVE: Barunson E&A, the South Korean studio known for Parasite, is expanding its lineup of titles from Indonesia with upcoming horror The Book Of Sijjin And Illiyyin.
International sales will be launched at the Cannes market on the film directed by Hadrah Daeng Ratu (The Corpse Washer) and is scripted by Lele Laila, writer of KKN Di Desa Penari, Indonesia’s highest-ever grossing film.
The story follows Yuli, a woman who witnessed her parents die at the hands of a mysterious force as a child after her mother became possessed. Branded a cursed child, she grew up under the roof of her father’s other wife, Ambar, and endured constant humiliation. But everything changes after Ambar whispers a secret into her ear. Fuelled by vengeance, Yuli performs a forbidden ritual and as dark magic takes root, the world around her begins to unravel. The cast is led by Yunita Siregar and Dinda Kanyadewi.
Ratu, Laila and production company Rapi Films previously worked together on 2023 box office hit Sijjin, which shares a similar concept of a curse but is a wholly different story. Co-producer is Screenplay Pictures.
It marks Barunson E&A’s continued move into Indonesian titles, which also includes upcoming feature Smothered, produced by genre master Joko Anwar, known for Satan’s Slaves 1 and 2 and whose A Copy Of My Mind screened at Venice in 2015.
Directed by Kevin Rahardjo and Rafki Hidayat, the psychological thriller follows a man with a seemingly perfect life who suffers memory loss after a car crash. When a woman claiming to be his long-lost mother appears, he begins to suspect she may be an imposter and becomes entangled in a race to remember a mysterious accident in his childhood village 18 years ago before the memories fade.
The Korean outfit also has Rangga & Cinta, a musical reboot of a beloved IP directed by veteran filmmaker Riri Riza and produced by Miles Films.
In addition, Barunson E&A signed a new partnership with Indonesian studio Imajinari last week, expanding its international business beyond co-production and sales and into remake rights licensing.
Under the deal, Barunson E&A will handle international remake rights for three of Imajinari’s breakout titles: hit horror-comedy Agak Laen; its upcoming sequel; and dark comedy Tinggal Meninggal.
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