Pee Mak Phra Khanong has broken multiple box-office records since its premiere on March 28, rising to a place of historic significance in the Thai film industry. Grossing more than THB500 million in its first month of screening, the horror-comedy seems poised to pick up another hefty chunk of revenue in May.
This weekend, Coconuts analyzes the director’s approach and points out notable factors contributing to the film’s remarkable success.
[NOTE: This article contains no spoilers]
Unprecedented Record-Breaking
Banjong Pisunthanakun, co-writer and director of Pee Mak Phra Khanong, this week tweeted to his 38,000 followers, informing them of his movie’s THB500-million milestone.
พี่มากผ่าน500ล้านแล้วจ้า ดีนะเรื่องนี้ไม่มีโจร ไม่งั้นได้ฉายาโจร500ไปตลอดแหง #peemak instagram.com/p/YhcimuF0Xs/
— BanjongPisanthanakun (@Banjong_P) April 25, 2013
For producer GMM Thai Hub (GTH) studio, as well as for Banjong himself, this latest revenue update has brought widespread elation. Banjong’s supporters have reacted with excitement as well, hoping that Pee Mak’s success will help spice up the apathetic Thai film industry. On March 28 alone, Pee Mak grabbed THB21.2 million, the biggest opening ever for a GTH film and the second largest for a Thai film released on a weekday. Its promising start has ignited hopes among Thai movie enthusiasts, who can now speculate that a Thai film might beat out foreign films in the Thai market.
Pee Mak has maintained the No.1 spot in the local box offices for four consecutive weeks. It has so far topped Thailand’s 2013 box office index, generating profits fivefold greater than the closest runners-up: G.I Joe: Retaliation and Jack the Giant Slayer. According to Box Office Mojo, Tamnaan Somdet Phra Naresuan Maharat: Phaak Prakaat Itsaraphaap (Declaration of Independence) is the last Thai film that secured the top spot, a feat it accomplished in 2007, earning a total of THB216.87 million, or less than half of what Pee Mak has already received.
Pee Mak pocketed its first THB100 million within four days. And in less than nine days, it broke the THB152.5-million GTH record held by the 2012 romantic comedy, ATM: Er Rak Error. It has consequently become GTH’s biggest blockbuster ever. The Thai movie industry’s net earnings take only the Greater Bangkok Area and Chiang Mai into account. Having said that, Pee Mak’s non-inflation-adjusted gross profit has far surpassed the THB324.5-million mark held by the once highest-grossing The Legend of Suriyothai, which came out in 2001.
Pee Mak’s hardcore fans, however, are not yet contented. They anticipate the film’s receipts will even exceed the THB550-million nationwide record established by the The Legend of Suriyothai. That is when they will be able to announce Pee Mak the official all-time champion, without bothering to wait to add up smaller amounts of money from the rest of the 70 provinces.
Upbeat Marketing Buzz
The success of Pee Mak owes to a new set of marketing communication strategies. With merely THB20 million spent on marketing, or around one-third of the film’s total budget, GTH has proven that the amount of money spent does not always correlate with extensive audience reach.
GTH has adopted a social media-oriented approach, making use of the company’s already humungous fan base, as well as the fans of lead actor Mario Maurer and lead actress Davika Hoorne. When you combine the Facebook fans of GTH (1.3M), Pee Mak (115K), Mario (80K), Davika (90K), Instagram followers of Mario (218K) and Davika (560K) and Twitter followers of Mario (678K) and Davika (560K) the number adds up to more than three million. Despite the presence of spam accounts, and the fact that some groups of followers overlap across these channels, the estimate is strong enough to make it the talk of the town.
Apart from the social media buzz, an effective online campaign is also responsible for invoking moviegoers to head to the cinema. The slick content on GTH’s YouTube channel is a good example of this principle in practice. The production firm engaged viewers with fun facts and examples of previous, unconventional Mae Nak remakes, such as Mae Nak in America or Mae Nak Invades Tokyo. GTH also produced a Pee Mak-themed Harlem Shake video that garnered more than 1.3 million hits.
Pee Mak Special Shake Shake
Post-premiere, GTH has kept adding online word-of-mouth buzz by such means as a Kong Phan dance routine viral video. This video collected almost two million hits in three weeks and prompted numerous YouTube stars to make cover versions. This method successfully encourages people who have not seen the movie to hit the cinemas and those who have seen it to go and watch it again.
A Makeover That Works
Pee Mak Phra Khanong is the 24th movie adaptation of the Thai folk tale Mae Nak Phra Khanong. The love story, believed to have transpired during the reign of King Rama IV, portrays the life of a beautiful young woman named Nak who dies in childbirth while her husband Mak is off fighting in a war. Owing to her devotion to her beloved, Nak does not depart for the afterlife but instead becomes a ghost in order to wait for Mak’s return to his home by Phra Khanong canal. Mak unknowingly reunites with his ghostly wife and later runs away, having learned the truth of her condition. Enraged, Nak terrorizes the people of Phra Khanong, blaming them of causing Mak to leave her, until a venerable monk confines her spirit to the bone of her forehead.
In the previous 23 films, six TV series and countless books, plays and radio dramas, the focus has always been on Nak’s perspective, demonstrating how deep her affection is to Mak, how fatally revengeful she becomes and how excruciatingly heartbroken she feels when she has to leave Mak in the end.
“I first heard the name Pee Mak Phra Khanong from my son,” GTH executive producer Visute Poolvoralaks told Prachachat. “I immediately sent Banjong a message, saying that we will be rich because both the name and concept just answer the requirement of a successful movie.”
It is common knowledge that only three genres of movies – ghost-centric horror, comedy and action – can make profits or break even in Thailand. Combing two out of those three genres, Pee Mak’s production began under Banjong’s lead. Banjong is also responsible for the films Shutter, Hello Stranger, Phobia and Phobia 2. During two years of screenplay writing, Banjong elected to center the story on Mak instead of Nak and shed light on his viewpoint when encountering his fearsome wife.
Banjong incorporated a contemporary vibe into the nostalgic period piece. First, he did away with the ancient Thai vocabulary. Instead, the two leading characters interact with one another using pronouns such as kao and tua-eng, like modern teenagers. Pee Mak also abounds in modern jokes, which include mocking a popular advertisement and teasing Thai popular culture.
“My version is mainly comedy, part romance and a little horror,” Banjong stated.
Adding to Pee Mak’s success is the main cast – Thai-German heartthrob Mario Maurer and Thai-Belgian soap star Davika Hoorne.
“The success is due to the acting of Mario and Davika,” said Banjong. “Their eyes alone act perfectly. They are fantastic.”
Banjong also created four new characters to help Pee Mak achieve its humorous mood. A gang of Mak’s best friends, who accompany him from the war zone to his home, freshens the original plot. The quartet appeared in Banjong’s previous movies Phobia and Phobia 2.
Pee Mak’s ending is believed to be another factor that has made the movie so successful. Banjong injected the GTH feel-good signature to the tragedy, an experiment that has earned him widespread applause.
Pee Mak Phra Khanong is set to show at various cinemas in May, extending its opportunity to attract more viewers and break more records. It is also scheduled to be shown on foreign screens. Whether via propitious timing, sassy marketing tools, a smooth plot or excellent performances, Pee Mak Phra Khanong has made a new chapter in Thai film history and inspired filmmakers to produce more quality pieces. And right now, at least, it is the hottest movie in Thai cinemas.
Pee Mak Official International Trailer
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