Controversial Malaysian film ‘Pulau’ is getting a sequel

Malaysian horror film Pulau is reportedly getting a sequel.

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Released in March this year, the film was mired in controversy from the time its first trailer was released in January, right up to its arrival in cinemas. The trailer was criticised by Malaysians over sexual scenes of kissing and lovemaking and women in bikinis.

The backlash – which led to the trailer going viral – saw Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid, the president of religious body Malaysia Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations issuing a statement on Facebook decrying its “indecent” scenes and calling for the reevaluation of Pulau’s approval.

Malaysia’s Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil acknowledged that Finas (National Film Development Corporation Malaysia) had issued a statement explaining the Film Censorship Board’s (LPF) had approved the film for release in September 2022. Fahmi also said he was informed that scenes that were cut from the approved film had somehow made it into the released trailer.

Despite the controversy, the film has raked in RM2million at the local box office, Juice reports. Following its success, producer Fred Chong has confirmed with Juice that a sequel to Pulau is in the works, with its production crew “actively planning and shortlisting actors, with Indonesian talent possibly being considered for some roles”.

Juice also reports that the sequel “will not be a direct continuation of the original storyline, but will retain [its] multiracial aspect”.

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