Sunday, 8 <a href="https://comicvibe.com/hozy-brings-calm-tactile-home-restoration-to-ps5-on-november-9/” title=”Hozy brings calm, tactile home restoration to PS5 on November 9″>November 2026, 10:14
MD Entertainment plans to release a sequel to its 2025 horror hit ‘Pabrik Gula’ in early 2028 and has three Imax films planned for 2027, executive Astrid Wienardi said at Taiwan Creative Content Fest in Taipei.
Wienardi, MD’s head of content licensing and global business, spoke at the festival on Sunday during a presentation about how the company connects its film and series library with broadcast and streaming. MD took control of free-to-air channel NET TV in a deal worth up to $105 million and has attracted investment from South Korea’s SBS.
‘Pabrik Gula’ sold more than 5 million tickets in Indonesia before opening in Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, the U.S. and Europe. Its popularity led MD to commit to a sequel.
MD’s Imax partnership began with ‘Badarawuhi,’ a prequel to ‘KKN di Desa Penari’ and the first Southeast Asian film shot for the format. One of the three Imax films planned for 2027 will be based on ‘Dhot Design,’ a YouTube animated series about four friends that draws 8 million to 10 million views per episode. Lionsgate and CJ are also strategic partners.
Active for more than two decades in film, series, animation, music publishing and talent management, MD has more than 200 feature films to its name. It plans 12 to 13 releases in 2027, led by horror, alongside comedy and drama. ‘KKN di Desa Penari’ sold 10.7 million tickets in Indonesia, a record at the time.
‘Ivanna 2,’ a follow-up to a spinoff from MD’s ‘Danur’ horror universe about a headless Dutch woman, is due in early 2027. Wienardi said the original ‘Ivanna’ was moderately received in Indonesia but did exceptionally well in Vietnam, where it broke theatrical records.
MD uses feedback from platform partners and fan comments on social media to decide whether to extend a series, create a spinoff or expand a franchise. Netflix drama ‘Ipar Adalah Maut’ – which Wienardi translated as ‘Brother-in-Law Is Death’ – topped the streamer’s trending list in its first week and stayed in the top 10 for seven consecutive weeks. A second season is in development and could launch on Netflix in 2027.
MD has eight titles on Netflix and three on WeTV. Seven of WeTV’s top 20 titles were MD productions, including ‘Layangan Putus,’ which trended in 25 countries. Prime Video ordered a second season of the mother-daughter series ‘Induk Gajah’ (‘Mother Elephant’) soon after its 2023 debut; the series helped attract new subscribers. Under a deal announced in mid-October, two MD titles will roll out on iQIYI by December and a third in the first quarter of 2027.
Music is also part of MD’s strategy. Netflix series ‘Suara Hati,’ starring two dangdut singers, generated 100,000 downloads across Spotify and YouTube Music in its first week. ‘Bakti,’ a song from ‘Danyang: Mahar Tukar Nyawa,’ which opened Nov. 5, has passed 200,000 downloads on Spotify.
‘The golden rule for us is that the universal appeal should never mean stripping away local identity,’ Wienardi said. ‘Local identity is very important for MD. Without local identity, we lose the soul of the story.’ She added that CEO Manoj Punjabi expects that focus at every greenlight meeting, and that MD wants folklore-rooted horror rather than ‘watered-down thrillers or any Hollywood-like thrillers.’
Asked why Indonesian films account for around 65% of local moviegoing while Taiwanese films make up 10%-12% in Taiwan, Wienardi pointed to Indonesia’s population of roughly 280 million and its folklore, which parents pass down to their children. ‘We are surrounded by a lot of mountainous areas where the spiritual taboos are actually discussed on family dinners,’ she said.
Wienardi said horror, MD’s specialty for more than 20 years, crosses borders more easily than drama and has sometimes reached U.S. and European markets. She said Indonesian sayings in dramas may not translate well, including culturally.
MD released adaptations of Thai and Korean properties this year, partnered with South Korea’s Barunson on ‘Sorop’ and has received co-production inquiries from U.S. and European producers. Wienardi said MD sees potential in bringing Taiwanese and East Asian IP to Indonesia. The studio wants pitches with proof of concept, a clear fit for Indonesian viewers and a track record in their home market.
For NET TV, ‘data is number one,’ Wienardi said. Free-to-air and pay-TV ratings arrive daily at 10 a.m. and guide decisions on whether to extend or change a program. MD series simulcast on the channel help expand their reach. NET TV aims to rank among Indonesia’s top five channels.
Wienardi said she hopes MD will one day work with Taiwanese directors and producers and ‘share probably a common ground of storytelling.’
- Director Christopher Nolan is preparing the film “Odyssey” with a unique early ticket sale in IMAX format, which will premiere on July 17, 2026.
- Nia DaCosta, a groundbreaking Black female director, has made history with blockbuster films including Marvel’s The Marvels and the latest 28 Years Later installment, blending horror with original storytelling.
