KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — Prominent Malaysia production house Astro Shaw has announced their slate from 2025 onwards, and it is huge.
Astro Shaw’s head honcho Raja Jastina Raja Arshad yesterday not only revealed incoming titles from some of their popular intellectual properties (IPs), but also announced that it will now follow in the footsteps of Hollywood giant — the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
This is by making all of their existing IPs such as the Polis Evo franchise, the Projek High Council franchise and the upcoming Keluang Man franchise interconnected in some ways through series and films — which will all accumulate to an “ultimate convergence” by 2028.
The move, which was a first of its kind for Malaysia, was made to introduce a Malaysian-centric universe which blends diverse genres and stories together.
So, what’s in store for the new Astro Shaw Cinematic Universe (ASCU)?
Projek High Council
Following the success of the first season of Projek: High Council series and its prequel film Kahar: Kapla High Council, ASCU has announced another television series centering behind the origin of the sinister High Council organisation titled Kudrat 1968.
The High Council universe is centered around a fictional all boys boarding school, Kolej Ungku Deramat or Kudrat where students had to abide by the rules and traditions of the High Council group or risk getting hazed by their seniors.
It is part of the High Council tradition to nominate a head also known as Kapla from a senior batch to lead the students of Kudrat and the High Council itself.
The series is known for highlighting bullying and discriminatory issues based on actual cases in schools.
The Kahar: Kapla High Council film which premiered last November 28 is still showing in cinemas nationwide with the film already collecting RM11 million.
The High Council universe, created by Anwari Ashraf, also boasts a stellar lineup of up and coming local stars such as Amir Ahnaf, Aedy Ashraf, Mierul Aiman, Naim Daniel and Nadhir Nasar.
Polis Evo 3 was the highest grossing local film in Malaysia for 2023. — Picture courtesy of Astro Shaw
Polis Evo
Malaysian most beloved buddy cop franchise Polis Evo which starred local actors Zizan Razak and Shaheizy Sam, will see the franchise being further expanded through a spinoff film along with a television series and a fourth film.
As revealed by the Polis Evo co-creator, Kyle Goonting, the spinoff Polis Evo film titled REZA will be centered behind the antagonist of Polis Evo 3, Reza, who is played by actor Sharnaaz Ahmad.
The spinoff which will serve as a catalyst for the Polis Evo universe expansion, will enter into production by 2025 and the film is expected to be released in 2026.
Polis Evo 4 has also been confirmed by Goonting where audiences will see the return of Inspector Khai (played by Shaheizy) and Inspector Sani (Played by Zizan) as they take on a new antagonist and a new web of crimes.
Aside from that, Goonting also shared that there’s also a Polis Evo series currently being developed by the studio and is currently being coined as the Evo Academy.
The Polis Evo franchise has its own dedicated fan base since its first film release back in 2015 and its latest film Polis Evo 3 was the highest grossing local film in Malaysia for 2023.
Keluang Man
The hype for the upcoming live action Keluang Man film just keeps on rising as director Anwari revealed that the Keluang Man film will be the first out of six films planned for the first phase of the franchise.
Anwari said that the first Keluang Man film will focus primarily in Kluang district in Johor as a way of paying homage to the birthplace of the Malaysian superhero while the other five titles will revolve around peninsular Malaysia.
Among the titles confirmed for the Keluang Man franchise includes Baling, Patani, Keluang Man 2, Besut and Kataha (Kedah Tua) – which will introduce other legends or superheroes from the areas.
“Introducing a series of interconnecting films that will take you all around peninsular Malaysia, from Kluang in Johor to Baling in Kedah, to Pattani in Thailand, to Besut in Terengganu and back to Kluang.
“And all the films will build up to a cinematic collision of historical proportions in a film titled Kataha,” Anwari said.
The Keluang Man film is expected to hit cinemas nationwide by May 2025.
Astro Shaw’s head honcho Raja Jastina Raja Arshad. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
A world of possibilities
Raja Jastina admitted that the introduction of the ASCU is certainly bold and ambitious however she said that it is also one of the ways to attract more audiences towards local films and a way to build up revenue streams as local films aren’t doing as well as international films in cinemas.
fAnd the ASCU is also expecting to open a new door of opportunity for local creatives as well.
“While global box office remains important, we must explore new revenue streams like merchandising, brand integrations, and expanded platforms.
“These avenues not only drive financial growth but also extend the life and legacy of our stories. We aim to support the Malaysian film industry by creating opportunities for filmmakers, and contributing to the Malaysian cinema ecosystem.
We constantly refine our strategies to contribute meaningfully to the local film industry and elevate it to greater heights,” she said.
