South Korea’s Barunson E&A has secured sales rights to Indonesian zombie horror film Zona Merah: Dead City and will launch the title at the upcoming Cannes market.
The feature is an adaptation of acclaimed series Zona Merah and principal photography began on April 7, continuing through May.
Set in the fictional town of Rimbalaya, the series follows Maya as she searches for her missing younger brother amid a rapidly spreading zombie outbreak, racing against time before authorities seal off the area as a ‘red zone’ (zona merah).
The film will raise the stakes as another city falls and a new red zone emerges. Series directors Sidharta Tata and Fajar Martha Santosa return to helm the feature, with Tata set as the screenwriter and Santosa overseeing story development to ensure continuity from series to film.
Much of the original cast will reprise their roles, including Aghniny Haque, Andri Mashadi, Maria Theodore, Devano, and Lukman Sardi, joined by new cast members Luna Maya, Bryan Domani, Shindy Huang, Myesha Lin, and Derby Romero.
Released in November 2024, the series was a hit on Indonesia’s leading OTT platform Vidio, recording more than 34 million views – leading both local and international streamers – and a notable surge in new subscribers.
It is produced by Screenplay Films, one of Indonesia’s most prominent production companies, whose recent credits include Wait Until I Make It — the second highest-grossing local film of 2026 to date — and Joko Anwar’s Gundala, which was selected for Toronto in 2019.
The pickup further cements a move beyond Korean borders for Barunson E&A, best known as the producer of Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winner Parasite. Its growing sales slate includes Inherit, an upcoming film from Thai hitmaker Banjong Pisanthanakun, which will be a key title on its Cannes market lineup.
It also handles horror comedy Ghost In The Cell by Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar, scoring a series of international sales following its premiere at the Berlinale in February. The film is approaching 2 million admissions locally, having held the top position at the Indonesia box office since its release in mid-April.
Yoonhee Choi, CEO of Barunson E&A, said: “Indonesia’s genre landscape is at an inflection point — audiences are becoming more adventurous, creators are pushing boundaries, and stories from this market are increasingly resonating globally. Zona Merah was an early signal of that shift, and Zona Merah: Dead City takes it further. Cannes will be the right place to introduce it to the world.”
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