Netflix has unveiled a raft of Chinese-language titles and upcoming projects from Indonesia and Thailand as it continues to grow original content in Southeast Asia.
The streaming giant revealed four series from Taiwan, eight titles from Thailand and five from Indonesia that would debut on the platform throughout 2024.
From Indonesia, features include Monster, a dialogue-free suspense thriller directed by Rako Prijanto. The film, starring Marsha Timothy, Alex Abbad, and Anantya Kirana, premiered at the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival in November.
Further titles from the country include Borderless Fog, a crime thriller set in Borneo, from award-winning filmmaker Edwin; and action film The Shadow Strays by Timo Tjahjanto, who previously scored success on Netflix with The Big 4. The streamer has also picked up Yosep Anggi Noen’s dystopian crime drama 24 Hours With Gaspar, which premiered at Busan and will debut on the platform on March 14.
Prolific Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar, whose horror Impertigore played Sundance in 2020, is one of the directors and writers of Nightmares And Daydreams, a sci-fi thriller series about ordinary people encountering strange phenomena. With multiple storylines that intersect with each other, it is co-directed by Upi Avianto, Randolph Zaini and Ray Pakpahan. The project was first announced in 2022.
In Taiwan, box office hit Marry My Dead Body is to get a spin-off series titled GG Precinct. Greg Hsu will reprise his role as a police detective in the sequel to the feature that was Taiwan’s selection for this year’s Oscars.
Launching today is Taiwan comedy series Let’s Talk About Chu, about a sex vlogger, starring Kai Ko (also known as director of the critically acclaimed Bad Education) and Chan Tzu-hsuan.
Crime drama series The Victims’ Game became the first Chinese-language production renewed by Netflix and the streamer confirmed that the second season will land on the platform this year.
Born For The Spotlight is a drama series that follows the unravelling of a friendship between two top actresses as they pursue their passion and navigate the cutthroat showbiz landscape in Taiwan. It stars Hsieh Ying-hsuan, Cheryl Yang and Hsueh Shih-ling.
In Thailand, the slate includes feature Bangkok Breaking: Heaven And Hell from writer/director Kongkiat Komesiri, a follow-up to Bangkok Breaking, which remained in the country’s top 10 list for five weeks in 2021. The upcoming film follows a rescue worker who becomes caught up in the kidnapping of a mogul’s daughter.
Upcoming series include romantic comedy Ready, Set, Love; The Believers, centred on three young entrepreneurs who exploit people’s belief in religion for money; 1970s-set Doctor Climax, directed by Kongdej Jaturanrasamee; anthology series Terror Tuesday: Extreme; family drama Master Of The House; supernatural drama Don’t Come Home; and anthology sci-fi series Tomorrow And I.
Netflix has also confirmed that Maya Huang will take the role of head of Chinese-language content at the company.
Conversely, Amazon shifted its content strategy in Southeast Asia last month, moving from original productions to licensing.
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