Headshot duo reunites on Samui Song

Thai director Pen-ek Ratanaruang is reuniting with his Headshot producer Raymond Phathanavirangoon on drama Samui Song, set to star Chermarn “Ploy” Boonyasak.

Chermarn will play an actress who is worried by her foreign husband’s growing obsession with a cult-like religious sect and its charasmatic leader, the Holy One. A mysterious stranger offers to rid her of her problem, but she ends up taking drastic measures to escape falling under the influence of the Holy One.

The cult leader will be played by Vithaya “Pu” Pansringarm, who recently starred in Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives. Chermarn has credits including The Love Of Siam, Eternity and a supporting role in Pen-ek’s 2003 Last Life In The Universe.

Despite Samui Song’s dark themes, Pen-ek and Phathanavirangoon describe it as less serious than award-winning 2012 noir thriller Headshot.

“Using Hitchcock as a starting point, it services as an homage to the kinds of movies I enjoy from Bollywood and Shinya Tsukamoto to Luis Bunuel and Thai cinema from the 1960s,” Pen-ek said.

Produced by Blue Ring Company, Samui Song is expected to start shooting before the end of the year. Phathanavirangoon worked on the story with Pen-ek and is also producing with Arunee Srisuk and Rasarin Tanalerttararom.

Phathanavirangoon is also producing Arvin Chen’s upcoming Grooms with Pang Ho Cheung and Subi Liang’s Making Film Productions and Boo Junfeng’s psychological drama Apprentice with Singapore’s Zhao Wei Films and Akanga Film Asia.

Germany’s augenschein Filmproduktion and France’s Cinéma Defacto recently boarded Apprentice as co-producers.