Thai film industry in crisis

Perhaps it was just a general lack of ideas or maybe it was due to the break-up of the successful studio Grammy Tai Hub (GTH), but Thailand’s film industry ended 2015 in the doldrums with its market share plunging from 30 per cent to just 18 per cent, its lowest ebb in 20 years. 

The new year did little to remedy the situation, with local releases earning less than Bt10 million at the box office, with even Prachya Pinkaew’s “Luk Thung Signature” failing to pull in big baht.

So it came as something of a relief when Poj Anon’s monk comedy “Luang Pee Jazz 4G”, released earlier this month, started with a bang, packing out theatres and earning the best part of Bt120 million to date.

“Luang Pee Jazz 4G” is the first project on which Poj has worked under the umbrella of the Major Group, who recently brought together their film companies, namely M-Thirtynine, Talent 1, Transformation Films, Rerkchai Paungpetch’s Raluek Films and Poj’s Guru Film, for a showcase of upcoming projects that will screen at multiplexes across the country.

Major Cineplex figures that producing more Thai movies for its multiplex chain will boost the film industry even though there will undoubtedly be some flops. A case in point is the M-Thirtynine horror “11 12 13 Rak Kan Ja Tai”, which was released a week earlier than “Luang Pee Jazz” and won the praise of the critics, has failed to stir the box office. 

Other Thai studios like Sahamongkol Film and Five Star are adopting a more cautious approach.

While many producers are eyeing the massive Chinese market and seeking co-productions, Vicha Poolvaraluck, chief executive of Major Cineplex Group is looking to South Korea, recently forming a joint venture with Korean giant CJ E&M and calling it CJ Major Entertainment. The new company will focus on Thai films.

The joint venture started last year and it’s the first such partnership in Southeast Asia for CJ.

Tae-Sung Jeong, chief executive of CJ E&M’s film division, says that even though Thai films are popular locally, their market share is still considerably lower than in South Korea and Japan where local films have better than a 50-per-cent share,

The CJ exec adds that the joint venture isn’t meant to bring South Korean films to Thai audiences. “What we bring are ideas, know-how and experience,” he explains, adding that CJ is also investing in other countries including China, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia. Its successful projects include the Korean blockbusters “Roaring Currents”, “Veteran” and the Hollywood co-production “Snowpiercer”, which saw Korean filmmaker Bong Jun-ho in the director’s chair and actor Song Kang-ho playing alongside Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton.

Jeong, who believes Thai film has potential for both the local and international markets, says CJ is now introducing its studio-based working system to the Thais.

Sa-ngar Chatchairungruang, deputy chief executive officer of Major Cineplex Group’s film division, says the coming of CJ will change mindsets. 

“It’s a working style we are not used to and it’s much better than what we have, which is one person responsible for everything,” he says.

Sa-ngar regards script development as one of CJ’s strongest points and says his team has been working on the script for the Thai version of CJ’s comedy blockbuster “Miss Granny”.

“It will still be a comedy,” he explains, “but both the plot and the gags have to be adapted to suit the Thai social context and situation.”

“Miss Granny” tells the story of a 74-year-old widow who realises she is becoming a burden on her family. She mysteriously regains her physical appearance from the age of 20.

The film will be directed by rookie Joey-Araya Suriharn will combine drama and comedy while underlining the value of family, says Sa-ngar, who adds that he is positive the film will bring tears and laughter to viewers.

“Miss Granny” has already proved its salt in China, where it was remade as “20 Once Again” and earned almost US$70 million, and in Vietnam, where it hit cinemas as “Sweet 20”. The Japanese version has just been released and the Thai version will be in cinemas before the end of the year. 

Sa-ngar says that while the structure of the story will remain the same, the characters and situation will be overhauled to suit the market. China, he notes, made its version more dramatic than the original.

Also likely to please filmgoers this year are the new offerings by the newly christened studio GDH 559, which has brings together a solid team of former GTH hands and is set to make its debut with a project by Banjong Pisanthanakun, the director behind Thailand’s most successful film ever, “Pee Mak Phra Khanong”. Banjong is once again collaborating with his friend, actor-scriptwriter Chanthavit Dhanasevi, on a romantic drama. There’s no title as yet, but the director has said Chanthavit’s co-star will be Nittha “Mew” Jirayangyuen of TV soap fame. The film already finished shooting both in Thailand and Japan and is set for release in September.

GDH 559’s other movie marks a return to full-length cinema for Parkpoom Wongpoom, who co-directed “Shutter” and “Faed” (“Alone”) with Banjong. Parkpoom has made no features since “Alone”, but did help on the omnibus films “See Phrang” and “Ha Phrang”. He also directed “Falling Rain”, a segment on the late conservationist Seub Nakhasathien of the royally inspired omnibus project “Kitarajanipon”.

The details of Parkpoom’s new project have yet to be revealed but it will be billed as a thriller.

Meanwhile, former GTH chief Visute Poolvoralaks faces a much more challenging future than his former colleagues. Having left GTH with just a handful of staff, the veteran studio head who started Tai Entertainment sets off on his new journey with T Moment, for which he has joined with giant media company Mono Technologies, the flagship firm of the Mono Group. His plan is to produce three to four movies a year.

“T Moment is my third sortie in the filmmaking business and I am well aware that it’s not easy to come up with a string of successes. But this will be my last venture and I want to do it as well as I can,” says Visute, adding that he is a little nervous about working with new staff. “Setting up a company is always a challenge and I am beginning with a new team who lacks experience. My task is to push them and help them gain experience so that they become a strong and cohesive team.”

Visute adds that T Moment will embrace a variety of genres, in much the same way as his erstwhile Tai Entertainment. He has already started discussing projects but has yet to make a decision on the one he will use to launch his new company.

“The Thai film market today is very different from when I started Tai Entertainment 30 years ago. It was always tough. but now it’s tougher,” he says. “I was concerned when I saw that the share held by Thai movies had dropped as low as 18 per cent but I understand why.”

“The biggest reason is that Thai audiences have lost faith in Thai movies simply because film production standards vary so much. You pay the same ticket price for every movie, so when ones are not good or worth the money, you lose confidence in Thai films in general and opt instead for Hollywood offerings.”

Like CJ’s Jeong, Visute is convinced that if all the studios create high-quality films, they will have no problem in winning back the audience.