One of the highest grossing Thai films is getting a Filipino adaptation!
The couple lived a happy life before Mak was summoned to the frontlines to fight in the war. Mae Nak, pregnant with their first child, eagerly waited for his return. Days turned to months as Mae Nak’s due date arrived, but tragedy struck as both Mae Nak and their child passed just before daybreak. Mak returns days later, hearing Mae Nak’s voice beckoning him. The story evolves from there with Mae Nak scaring away people who try to tell Mak that she has already passed. The Thai film took this premise and added some laughs into the mix, making a unique blend of horror, comedy, and drama that pulls on the heartstrings of viewers.
Now, Viva TV is adapting the famous story in a Filipino context. Cebuano filmmaker Victor Villanueva (Patay Na Si Hesus, I Am Not Big Bird) is set to direct the film, with Wilbert Ross and Bea Binene playing in the lead roles as the titular couple Mak and Nak. Alongside them are Vandolph, TJ Valderama, Jairus Aquino, and Gian Bernardino, co-lead vocalist of Cup of Joe, who play the friends of Mak trying to make him realize that Nak has turned into a ghost.
Pee Mak is one of Thailand’s most successful comedy-horror films, grossing over $20 million worldwide way back in 2013 with the star power of Mario Maurer and Davika Hoorne who portrayed Mak and Nak respectively. The film is based on Thai folklore, retelling a folk tale called Mae Nak Phra Khanong or Nang Nak (Thai Ghost) which follows the couple Mae Nak and Mak who lived at the banks of Phra Khanong in old Siam or modern-day Bangkok. Spoilers ahead for the basic premise of the story.
Catch this adaptation in theaters this October 14 nationwide in the Philippines.