Apparently, both Johan (left) and Zizan Razak couldn't keep a straight face for too long when doing scenes together. Photos: Handout
What began as a side character in the 2011 film KL Gangster, Abang Long Fadil has become a much-loved protagonist in two successful movies.
Out in cinemas presently is the third instalment, Abang Long Fadil 3, which sees actor Zizan Razak reprising the titular role after the 2014 and 2017 films.
The 38-year-old said at a press conference held in Kuala Lumpur recently that he is proud with the latest film and is happy that it is finally being released on the big screen.
“Abang Long Fadil 3 was filmed in 2019, and was supposed to be released in 2020. Then Covid happened and the film got postponed.
“I myself was struck down by Covid virus and the influenza virus. I was feeling hopeless at that time, especially with the news of movie halls collecting dust and the seats growing mould after months of closure. I was worried when 2021 came and the film still wasn’t released,” Zizan said.
“But now that it is here and I am seeing it in the cinema, I feel like, ‘Oh My God, we are finally back’. It’s a satisfying feeling,” the actor said, adding that he hopes fans will flock to the cinemas to watch the third film so that it will be successful enough to warrant a fourth outing.
Zizan's wish might just become a reality as the film has already earned RM10mil at the box office after just five days.
Perhaps, what keeps the franchise fresh with each movie is how the main character’s journey is "upgraded" every time.
“In the first film, Fadil was involved with a gang. In the second one, he entered the world of mobsters," explained director Syafiq Yusof
“I thought about how I could elevate this character further for the third film, and I concluded that he would be a spy."
In the film, Fadil is recruited by a spy agency to take down the villain Chow Han (Johan Raja Lawak).
Unfortunately for our hero, his old enemy, King Cobra (Datuk AC Mizal), is out to get him over a past conflict.
While admitting that the biggest obstacle was to make the third film more interesting and entertaining than the previous two movies, Syafiq also said it was a challenging shoot as comedians Zizan and Johan were “out of control” on set at times as they were unable to contain their laughter.
Johan elaborated: “Doing a scene with Zizan was especially hard because we couldn’t stop laughing whenever our eyes met.”
Director Syafiq Yusof (centre, standing) says controlling the laughter on set was challenging.
Actress Ozlynn Waty, who is married to Johan, also spoke on working with the two of them.
“I was quite nervous about doing scenes with Zizan and Johan because they are comedians, and I am not. I am usually never ready for whatever improv they come up with, no matter how much I prepare myself beforehand,” she said.
“So, whenever I have scenes with them, I do end up laughing and spoiling a take. That was difficult because I didn’t want to waste everyone’s time by extending the shooting hours, which were already going into the wee hours,” Ozlynn added.
Film producer Datuk Yusof Haslam is equally proud of the end product, stating that everyone involved in making the film did their best for fans of the franchise.
“We present a fresh concept through this latest sequel. We hope that Abang Long Fadil 3 will be well received and is able to entertain everyone,” Yusof said.
Abang Long Fadil 3 is now showing at cinemas nationwide.
