| Halfworlds | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Dark Fantasy Thriller |
| Created by | Collin Chang Erika North Garon de Silva Andrew Chin Nicholas Gauron |
| Written by | Collin Chang Joko Anwar (season 1) |
| Directed by | Joko Anwar (season 1) Ekachai Uekrongtham (season 2) Mikhail Red (season 3) |
| Country of origin | Indonesia Thailand |
| Original languages | English Indonesian Thai Mandarin |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 16 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Indonesia, Thailand |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO Asia RED by HBO |
| Release | 29 November 2015 – present |
Halfworlds is a dark fantasy thriller television series produced and created by HBO Asia. [1] [2] [3] Set in present-day Southeast Asia, the series reveals an underground society populated by demons from Asian folklore across the region.
The first season of Halfworlds, set in Indonesia, premiered on 29 November 2015. A second season of Halfworlds, set in Thailand, was announced in July 2016 and premiered on 22 January 2017. [4] A third season of Halfworlds was announced in November 2019, to be set in the Philippines, with production scheduled to begin in January 2020. [5]
|
|
Set in the city of Jakarta, Halfworlds Season 1 lifts the veil on a parallel world of bloodthirsty creatures from Indonesian mythology who have lived amongst humans for centuries. [6] They are known simply as "Demit" and have been carefully concealed by a powerful family of mortals. The arrival of the Gift, a mysterious supernatural event, causes this hidden world to reveal itself. As the day of the Gift draws near, Sarah, a street artist, finds herself caught between the worlds of human and Demit. Once the Demit find out who she really is, and what she must do, the delicate balance between the two worlds will be shaken forever.
The first season of Halfworlds premiered on 29 November 2015.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Joko Anwar | Collin Chang and Joko Anwar | 29 November 2015 | |
| A street artist finds herself caught between two worlds. Little does she know her life is about to take an unexpected twist. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Joko Anwar | Collin Chang and Joko Anwar | 6 December 2015 | |
| Sarah is pulled deeper into the Demit world and she can’t shake the feeling of being followed. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Joko Anwar | Collin Chang and Joko Anwar | 13 December 2015 | |
| After being attacked, Sarah's rescuer reveals himself and warns her to stop drawing the monstrous creatures she dreams of. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Joko Anwar | Collin Chang and Joko Anwar | 20 December 2015 | |
| A wounded Barata seeks out Sarah for help. Meanwhile, the search for the symbols continue in the Demit world. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Joko Anwar | Collin Chang and Joko Anwar | 27 December 2015 | |
| The Gift draws closer and the Demit grow frantic. Barata rescues Pinung from an attack but it might be too late. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Joko Anwar | Collin Chang and Joko Anwar | 3 January 2016 | |
| Sarah finally gets the answers she has been looking for but her relationship with her boyfriend Coki is in trouble. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Episode 7" | Joko Anwar | Collin Chang and Joko Anwar | 10 January 2016 | |
| With The Gift just days away, the Demit world is in chaos. Sarah receives an offer from a stranger that is too good to resist. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Episode 8" | Joko Anwar | Collin Chang and Joko Anwar | 10 January 2016 | |
| Sarah is trapped and her friends search for her. In a twist of events, The Gift is bestowed upon the most unexpected of all. | ||||||
In the second season of Halfworlds, a tenacious researcher named Juliet is trying to uncover the secret world of demons known as "Peesaj" that live amongst mortals in the city of Bangkok, Thailand. Armed with research by her late father, she embarks on a quest for an ancient artifact of great power. During her search, her actions draw the attention of the local Thai Peesaj.
The second season of Halfworlds premiered on 22 January 2017.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Ekachai Uekrongtham | Collin Chang | 22 January 2017 | |
| A tenacious researcher named Juliet goes to Bangkok to continue her late father’s work on a hidden world of demons and gets more than what she bargained for. | ||||||
| 10 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Ekachai Uekrongtham | Collin Chang | 22 January 2017 | |
| As Fyter spends more time with Juliet, he finds it harder to kill her. Tony enters the fight tournament in Soi P to win an exclusive session with the Seer. | ||||||
| 11 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Ekachai Uekrongtham | Collin Chang | 29 January 2017 | |
| Juliet tracks Fyter down and arrives at Soi P after Warin’s attack. In the Citadel, Barata almost gets himself killed, but an old friend comes to his rescue. | ||||||
| 12 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Ekachai Uekrongtham | Collin Chang | 5 February 2017 | |
| An important fight between Tony and Thip will determine who wins a session with the Seer while Barata reveals to Kaprey the reason he has returned to the Citadel. | ||||||
| 13 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Ekachai Uekrongtham | Collin Chang | 12 February 2017 | |
| Thip meets with Wish who reveals the way to the Kris of Amorana. Mick finally catches Pym and Fyter is left with an important decision to make. | ||||||
| 14 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Ekachai Uekrongtham | Collin Chang | 19 February 2017 | |
| Fyter, Mick, Wish and Juliet fight their way into the Citadel to retrieve the Kris. They meet Barata and must decide whether he is a friend or foe. | ||||||
| 15 | 7 | "Episode 7" | Ekachai Uekrongtham | Collin Chang | 26 February 2017 | |
| An unexpected death in the Citadel changes everything. | ||||||
| 16 | 8 | "Episode 8" | Ekachai Uekrongtham | Collin Chang | 26 February 2017 | |
| Fyter brings the Kris to Thip, while Tony finally meets Wish to get the answers he has been searching for. | ||||||
The first season received 6 nominations from the 21st Annual of Asian Television Awards. [7]
| Ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Television Awards | Best Drama Series | Halfworlds | Highly Commended | [8] |
| Best Direction (Fiction) | Joko Anwar | Highly Commended | ||
| Best Cinematography | Ical Tanjung | Nominated | ||
| Best Editing | Gan Jia Yi for Episode 6 | Won | ||
| Natalie Soh for Episode 8 | Nominated | |||
| Best Theme Song | Aghi Narottama & Tony Merle | Highly Commended |
Joko Anwar is an Indonesian film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Prior to becoming a filmmaker, he worked as a journalist and film critic.
Arisan! is a 2003 Indonesian comedy-drama film directed by Nia Dinata, who also co-wrote the screenplay with then-unknown Joko Anwar. At the 2004 Indonesian Film Festival, it won the Citra Awards in five major categories: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Editing. Arisan! was the first Indonesian film to feature two men kissing, portrayed by the characters Sakti and Nino.
HBO Asia is the Asian division of HBO, based out of Singapore. It was originally launched on 1 May 1992 as MovieVision, later rebranding on 1 June 1995 to its current name after being purchased by Home Box Office, Inc. The Singapore-based broadcast network offers channels and services with no advertisements– HBO, HBO Signature, HBO Family, HBO Hits and Cinemax – as well as HBO Go and HBO on Demand. HBO Asia is also the exclusive distributor of BabyFirst in Asia.
Nasrul Suhaimin bin Saifuddin, known professionally as Bront Palarae, is a Malaysian actor, film director, screenwriter and producer.
Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is the 7th and current president of Indonesia. A member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), he was the country's first president to not have emerged from the country's political or military elite. He previously served as governor of Jakarta from 2012 to 2014 and mayor of Surakarta from 2005 to 2012.
Maneepat Myra Molloy, nicknamed Myra (ไมร่า), is a Thai/American actress, singer and songwriter. In 2011 at age 13, Molloy won the premier season of Thailand's Got Talent with her performances of a combination of cross-over classical and Broadway songs. In August 2014 at age 16, she placed Top 6 on ABC television's Rising Star USA. In 2018-2019 Molloy played Kim (alternate) in the US tour of Miss Saigon. Molloy played 'Quinn' in Miramax's 2021 film He's All That, the gender reversing reboot of She's All That.
Johannes Taslim, known professionally as Joe Taslim, is an Indonesian actor and martial artist. He was a member of Indonesia’s national judo team from 1997 to 2009, becoming a three-time medalist at the Southeast Asian Games, and a Gold medalist at the 2008 Pekan Olahraga Nasional.
Ario Bayu Wicaksono is an Indonesian actor.
Indonesia operates a single high-speed train between the countries two largest cities, Jakarta and Bandung, branded Whoosh It is operated by Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC).
Abimana Aryasatya is an Indonesian actor. He is best known for starring in the films Shackled (2012), 99 Cahaya di Langit Eropa (2013), Haji Backpacker (2014), and in the second highest-grossing Indonesian film of all time, Warkop DKI Reborn: Jangkrik Boss! Part 1 (2016). He has received multiple awards and nominations such as Indonesian Movie Awards, Indonesian Film Festival, and Indonesian Box Office Movie Awards.
Alex Abdullah Abbad, sometimes known as Alex Abbad, is an Indonesian actor, poet, host, musician, visual artist, and music producer, with two decades of experience in the Creative and Entertainment Industry.
Putra Arifin Scheunemann, known professionally as Arifin Putra, is a German-Indonesian actor. His international recognition is largely attributed to his role in the Indonesian action film The Raid 2: Berandal, which was released in the United States and other major markets around the world. He also starred in the 2009 Indonesian horror film, Rumah Dara.
A Copy of My Mind is a 2015 Indonesian drama film written and directed by Joko Anwar. A low-budget co-production between Indonesia and South Korea, the film stars Tara Basro and Chicco Jerikho. At the 35th Citra Awards, the film received seven nominations, winning three: Best Director for Anwar, Best Actress for Basro, and Best Sound.
Viu is a Hong Kong-based over-the-top (OTT) video streaming provider from PCCW Media Group's Viu International Ltd. Operated in a dual-revenue model comprising subscriptions and advertising, Viu delivers content in different genres from Asia's top content providers with local language subtitles, as well as original production series under the Viu Original initiative.
Satan's Slaves is a 2017 Indonesian horror film written and directed by Joko Anwar. It is a loose remake-prequel to the 1980 film of the same name directed by Sisworo Gautama Putra based on a story by Subagio S. The plot follows a family who are haunted by the death of their mother, who dies after being bedridden for three years from a strange and debilitating illness.
Folklore is a television horror anthology series that premiered on HBO Asia on October 7, 2018. On December 1, 2020, it was renewed for a second season.
Tara Basro is an Indonesian actress and musician.
Impetigore is a 2019 horror film written and directed by Joko Anwar. The film stars Tara Basro, Marissa Anita, Christine Hakim, Asmara Abigail, and Ario Bayu. The film follows Maya (Basro), who travels with her friend Dini (Anita) to her remote ancestral village seeking an inheritance.
Fachri Albar is an Indonesian actor and musician. He is best known for starring in Joko Anwar's Neo-noir thriller Dead Time: Kala in 2007 and psychological thriller The Forbidden Door in 2009.
Indonesian horror are the films of the horror genre produced by the Indonesian film industry. Often inspired by local folklore and religious elements, Indonesian horror films have been produced in the country since the 1960s. After a hiatus during the Suharto era in the 1990s, when censorship affected production, Indonesian horror films continued being produced following Reformasi in 1998.
