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Indonesian film production company Imajinari is expanding its footprint with an ambitious slate of upcoming projects following the breakout success of its comedy hit “Agak Laen,” which accumulated 9.1 million cinema viewers to become the bestselling Indonesian comedy of all time.

Founded in 2021 by Ernest Prakasa and Dipa Andika, Imajinari has set “Tinggal Meninggal,” a dark comedy in post-production. The film, directed by Kristo Immanuel, will be followed by “Agak Laen 2,” the sequel to their record-breaking comedy, with Muhadkly Acho returning as writer and director.

“Our philosophy is we want to make original stories, and we want to make sure everything is ready,” Andika told Variety at Hong Kong FilMart. “We don’t want to push it if it’s not ready.”

Imajinari’s commitment to original storytelling in a market dominated by sequels, remakes and horror films has paid dividends with critical acclaim. Their 2023 black-and-white romantic comedy “Jatuh Cinta Seperti Di Film-Film...

Indonesian cinema admissions increased by 10% to reach 126.22 million in 2024, according to figures from Bicara Box Office, with local films pulling in 80.21 million admissions for a 65% market share.

Last year, Indonesia’s local movies sailed past the all-time annual admissions record in just nine months from January to September, driven by hits such as comedy horror Agak Laen and a host of other horror films and family dramas. The previous record was set in 2022 when local productions, headed by horror Kkn Di Desa Penari, racked up 58.16 million admissions by the end of the year.

Agak Laen, produced by Imajinari Pictures, remains the biggest film of 2024 overall, with 9.13M admissions, followed by horror film Vina: Sebelum 7 Hari (5.82M admissions), comedy horror Kang Mak (4.86M), family drama Ipar Adalah Maut (4.78M), Kkn prequel Dancing Village: The Curse Begins (4.02M), Joko Anwar horror Grave Torture (4M) and family drama Bila Esok Ibu Tiada...

Indonesian movies have sailed past the all-time annual admissions record in just nine months from January to September 2024, with new releases pulling in 61.25 million ticket sales, according to data from local box office analyst Bicara Box Office.

The previous record was set in 2022 when local productions racked up 58.16 million admissions by the end of the year. Calendar year total admissions for all films, including local and foreign, had reached 95.56 million by the end of September. Local productions currently have around a 66% market share.

Imajinari’s horror comedy Agak Laen remains the biggest film of the year, drawing 9.1 million admissions, followed by horror thriller Vina: Sebelum 7 Hari with 5.8 million admissions and Falcon Pictures’ Kang Mak, a remake of Thai horror comedy blockbuster Pee Mak, with 4.9 million.

Kang Mak

The next three films in the 2024 top ten are also local productions – infidelity drama Ipar Adalah Maut (4.8 million) and horror prequel Dancing Village: The Curse Begins...

The Indonesian horror movie scene has become a vital part of the Asian horror movie subgenre as a whole over the last couple of decades, and time and time again, it has shown strong potential to dominate the international market as well through character-driven, well-crafted narratives that transcend genre boundaries. The popular horror-comedy Agak Laen, which was released earlier this year and took the country’s box office by storm, is a perfect example of these aspects.

As separate genres, both comedy and horror provide an insight into human life from possibly the most honest standpoint, which is where Agak Laen excels as well. Although the scare factor remains at a minimum through the entirety of the movie, the chemistry between the lead quartet characters—equal parts heart and humor—more than makes up for it.

Spoilers Ahead

Why Did Oki Join His Friends To Relaunch The Haunted House Ride?...

Exclusive: Indonesia’s MD Pictures has announced that its horror prequel Badarawuhi Di Desa Penari is the first production in Southeast Asia to be filmed with Imax-certified digital cameras.

The film, which is a prequel to record-breaking hit Kkn Curse Of The Dancing Village, will receive a wide Imax release across Indonesia on April 10, 2024 during the Eid holiday period. It will feature Imax-exclusive Expanded Aspect Ratio, with some scenes expanding to fill the entirety of the screen and maximizing the viewing experience.

Produced by MD Pictures’ founder Manoj Punjabi, the prequel is directed by leading Indonesian horror and action filmmaker Kimo Stamboel, taking the reins from Awi Suryadi who directed the first film. The ensemble cast includes Aulia Sarah, Maudy Effrosina, Jourdy Pranata and Claresta Taufan, among others. The film is again set in a remote Indonesian village where a mysterious local entity is terrorizing the local population.

Horror stays winning at the box office, not only here in the United States but also internationally as well. On that note, a brand new horror comedy titled Agak Laen is making headlines this week, becoming the second biggest Indonesian box office hit Of All Time!

The film was released into Indonesian theaters on February 1, 2024.

Deadline reports, “With 7.35 million admissions at the box office, horror-comedy film Agak Laen has become the second biggest Indonesian box office hit of all time.”

And get this. Agak Laen is second only to a 2022 movie titled Kkn di Desa Penari, which was also a horror movie! It’s the highest grossing film in Indonesian box office history.

In Agak Laen, “An old man dies in a failing haunted house ride. The operators bury his body on site, turning it into a popular attraction.”

Agak Laen‘s producer Ernest Prakasa tells Deadline, “It’s very...

With 7.35 million admissions at the box office, horror-comedy film Agak Laen has become the second biggest Indonesian box office hit of all time.

Released domestically on February 1, the film stars Bene Dion Rajagukguk, Oki Rengga, Indra Jegel, Boris Bokir and Tissa Biani Azzahra. It now only trails 2022’s Kkn di Desai Penari, another horror title, which secured more than 10 million admissions.

Four of the stars are part of a podcast group (also named Agak Laen), which has gained a large following since launching in 2022. The Agak Laen film has also released in Malaysia and Brunei.

Box office gross is not publicly available in Indonesia, with admissions numbers serving as the main data in tracking the performance of films.

Horror movies usually perform well at the Indonesian box office, but Agak Laen‘s producer Ernest Prakasa said that the formula for the film was a strong dose of comedy, bolstered by...