Thai production powerhouse GDH 559 is to launch sales of The Red Envelope, a local remake of Taiwanese blockbuster Marry My Dead Body, starring Billkin Putthipong Assaratanakul from blockbuster How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies and PP Krit Amnuaydechkorn.
A first look at Billkin and PP in the film can be seen above.
The upcoming feature is produced by Banjong Pisanthanakun, director of 2021 horror The Medium, who first saw the original Taiwanese film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival last year. It will be directed by Chayanop Boonprakob.
“After seeing the film, an idea for a Thai remake starring Billkin and PP under the comedic direction of Chayanop Boonprakob immediately came to me,” he told Screen. “I thought it would create a very exciting Thai-flavoured new combination.”
The remake will remain as a supernatural comedy about a straight cop who is forced to marry a gay ghost after he accidentally picks up a red envelope. While the main elements of the original film are retained, the Thai creative team also want to be able to surprise the audience so have changed some of the details.
“The relationship between a straight and a gay man and between a living person and a ghost are fun ideas that will work very well in the Thai context upon adapting the film as a Thai comedy,” said Banjong.
“Billkin and PP were our first and only choice for the main roles. If they had declined, this film wouldn’t have been made,” he added. The film reunites the two actors for the first time since hit BL (boys’ love) TV series I Told Sunset About You and sequel I Promised You The Moon.
The feature will see Billkin and PP make their first foray into film investment through their respective companies Billkin Entertainment and PP Krit Entertainment, both record labels that publish songs, create music videos, organise concerts and manage artists.
Also on GDH’s ACFM lineup are horror comedy 404, which is due to open in November; romantic drama Flat Girls, set for a Q1 2025 release; comedy Beauty And The Beat for Q4 2025; and The Paradise Of Thorns, which recently premiered at Toronto.
How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, also produced by GDH, has proved a runaway success in Asia and beyond since it was first released last spring. The family drama has been acquired by Netflix and submitted as Thailand’s entry to the Oscars.
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