Only a few weeks after its premiere, Pee Mak Phra Kanong is now Thailand’s biggest-ever box-office hit. The film, directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun, took over 100 million baht on its opening weekend, setting a new Thai record. Its box-office total has now exceeded 500 million baht, meaning that Pee Mak, an updated version of the Mae Nak folk legend, has overtaken Suriyothai, the previous record-holder.
Suriyothai was a state-sponsored epic, the most lavish production in the history of Thai cinema, and buying a ticket for it was seen as a patriotic duty. If nothing more, viewers were presumably curious to see what their taxes had been spent on. It was previously considered unassailable, and it held its pole position for more than a decade.
Pee Mak’s unofficial takings could be as high as a billion baht, as the 500 million figure includes only the grosses from Bangkok and the central provinces. By a significant margin, it’s the most popular movie in Thai cinema history, a position it achieved more swiftly than anyone could have imagined, especially considering that it’s only the latest in a long line of previous Mae Nak movies.
The story of Mae Nak has been filmed almost twenty times before, and has been adapted into musicals, an opera, and numerous television dramas. Mae Nak, Thailand’s most famous ghost, is an icon of folklore and popular culture.
The legend of Mae Nak is a simple story of young love, with a twist. Mak leaves his pregnant wife, Nak, to fight in a war. When he returns, Nak and their new baby are waiting for him, though the local villagers try to warn him that Nak is not what she seems. Eventually, Mak discovers Nak’s corpse buried near their house, and, when he sees her stretch her arm down to the ground, he realises that she is a ghost. Nak insists that her love for her husband means that she cannot rest in peace without him, though a Buddhist monk finally exorcises her spirit.
Pee Mak Phra Kanong expands the original story to include four of Mak’s friends who return with him from the war. In this new version of the legend, it is his fellow soldiers, rather than Mak himself, who discover Nak’s secret. There are also some comic anachronisms, to bring the story up to date for contemporary audiences. Mak, for instance, declares that his nickname should be Westernised and pronounced “Mark”.
Only a few weeks after its premiere, Pee Mak Phra Kanong is now Thailand’s biggest-ever box-office hit. The film, directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun, took over 100 million baht on its opening weekend, setting a new Thai record. Its box-office total has now exceeded 500 million baht, meaning that Pee Mak, an updated version of the Mae Nak folk legend, has overtaken Suriyothai, the previous record-holder.Suriyothai was a state-sponsored epic, the most lavish production in the history of Thai cinema, and buying a ticket for it was seen as a patriotic duty. If nothing more, viewers were presumably curious to see what their taxes had been spent on. It was previously considered unassailable, and it held its pole position for more than a decade.Pee Mak’s unofficial takings could be as high as a billion baht, as the 500 million figure includes only the grosses from Bangkok and the central provinces. By a significant margin, it’s the most popular movie in Thai cinema history, a position it achieved more swiftly than anyone could have imagined, especially considering that it’s only the latest in a long line of previous Mae Nak movies.The story of Mae Nak has been filmed almost twenty times before, and has been adapted into musicals, an opera, and numerous television dramas. Mae Nak, Thailand’s most famous ghost, is an icon of folklore and popular culture.The legend of Mae Nak is a simple story of young love, with a twist. Mak leaves his pregnant wife, Nak, to fight in a war. When he returns, Nak and their new baby are waiting for him, though the local villagers try to warn him that Nak is not what she seems. Eventually, Mak discovers Nak’s corpse buried near their house, and, when he sees her stretch her arm down to the ground, he realises that she is a ghost. Nak insists that her love for her husband means that she cannot rest in peace without him, though a Buddhist monk finally exorcises her spirit.Pee Mak Phra Kanong expands the original story to include four of Mak’s friends who return with him from the war. In this new version of the legend, it is his fellow soldiers, rather than Mak himself, who discover Nak’s secret. There are also some comic anachronisms, to bring the story up to date for contemporary audiences. Mak, for instance, declares that his nickname should be Westernised and pronounced “Mark”.
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