Pangong Pisanthanakon, the Thai director behind the genre’s landmarks shutter and Paul Macreturns to the director’s chair He inheritsa horror film produced by GDH 559, Thailand’s most creative and commercially diverse studio. Korean sales company Barunson E&A, the production company that produced Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning film parasiteInternational sales have boarded the project.
Pangong has long been regarded as one of Southeast Asia’s distinguished directors. His first appearance in 2004 shutter It became a defining title in the Thai horror wave of the 2000s, while comedy horror Paul Mac (2013) became the highest-grossing Thai film of all time and the first Thai title to exceed ten million domestic admissions. Its latest version The mediator (2021), a supernatural found footage thriller co-produced with Korean label Showbox, was critically acclaimed, but saw its theatrical release hampered by the pandemic. He inherits It marks his first time behind the camera in five years.
The film revolves around a wealthy family whose polished exterior begins to crack when an ancient centipede spirit infiltrates their bloodline. It is quoted from Tait Asuna landmark Thai horror novel first published in 1991 that has remained in print through multiple editions and spawned several television adaptations but has never been shown on the big screen before. Leading the cast is Davica Horne, who recently appeared in the film Useful ghost – Winner of the Grand Prix in the Critics’ Week section at Cannes – which was also distributed by GDH in Thailand.
GDH 559 has long been a driving force in Southeast Asian cinema. Released 2024 How to make millions before grandma dies It grossed approximately $73.8 million worldwide, becoming the first Thai film to be shortlisted for an International Academy Award, and an English-language remake has since been acquired by Miramax. In 2025, the studio expanded its festival scope when it organized Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit Human resources It premiered in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival.
“There is something unsettling about material that is based on a beloved work of Thai horror literature, but it is fresh and strikingly unsettling in the way it unfolds,” said Gina Osothilp, CEO of GDH. “It’s a story deeply rooted in our culture, but it speaks to something universal about family and legacy and what we can’t escape.”
Barunson E&A will handle sales across North America, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa. The deal expands the Korean company’s growing footprint in Southeast Asia – last year it signed an exclusive sales partnership with Indonesian production company Joko Anwar’s Come and See Pictures, its latest directorial effort. Ghost in the cell It premiered at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, where Baronson served as co-producer and sales agent. Yoonhee Choi, CEO of Barunson E&A, says her company is in discussions with GDH about future co-development and co-production projects next. He inherits.
