Stealing hearts: Wu and Tan (right) in a scene from ‘Abang Adik’, the Malaysian film which is dominating Taiwan’s box office in its debut weekend.
PETALING JAYA: Acclaimed Malaysian film, Abang Adik, is making waves in Taiwan.
Since its premiere on Dec 1, the movie has dominated Taiwan’s box office, grossing over NT$15mil (RM2.22mil) in the first three days of release – the highest for any Malaysian movie.
The compelling and emotional storyline has captured the hearts of moviegoers, with some even saying they watched it four times.
In fact, the relentless demand for the movie has led to distributors adding more showtimes.
Starring Malaysian actor Jack Tan and Taiwanese actor Wu Kang Ren, Abang Adik tells the story of two undocumented orphans navigating a life of poverty in Malaysia.
When an NGO worker arrives to help the brothers get real identity cards, something happens that changes things for the siblings forever.
Moved by the positive reception of his first feature film, director Jin Ong extended his gratitude to the Taiwanese audience for their support and encouragement.
“I will remember the love you have given us this winter of 2023,” he said.
Producer Angelica Lee said she was surprised by the success of Abang Adik in Taiwan as “no Malaysian film has achieved such success overseas”.
She also thanked the cast, crew members and all involved in bringing the story to the big screen.
Abang Adik, which will premiere in Malaysia on Dec 14, has already won a string of awards at film festivals worldwide.
Last month, Wu clinched the Best Actor gong at the Golden Horse Awards for his role as a mute man in the film.
The movie also made history as the first South-East Asian film to sweep the three top prizes at Italy’s Far East Film Festival in April. It won the Golden Mulberry audience award, the Black Dragon Critics’ prize, and the White Mulberry Award for best first feature.
