Popular TV drama spin-off sets new box-office record
“Love Destiny: The Movie” has joined the ranks of Thai blockbusters, with box office sales surpassing 200 million baht in the first week of release.
The film, known in Thai as “Bupphesanniwat 2”, has also dominated the box office in neighbouring Laos and drawn much interest from Thai movie fans in other Southeast Asian countries.
The romantic comedy, a sequel to the widely popular 2018 television drama series “Bupphesanniwat” (Love Destiny), has raked in 220.9 million baht since its release on July 28.
This is a rare success for Thai movies in this pandemic era, as no other local box office successes had reached the 100-million-baht mark in the past three years, according to media reports.
It opened on the same day in Laos and on July 30 in Australia, and is scheduled for release in Cambodia and Singapore on August 11, Screen Daily reported.
The film tells the story of a couple – played by Ranee “Bella” Campen and Thanavat “Pope” Vatthanaputi – in their reincarnation born during 19th-century Siam, centuries after the characters in the original TV series set in the Ayutthaya Kingdom.
Following its huge success in Thailand, the original TV series was picked up by streaming platforms in Southeast and East Asia, including China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.