KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — In December 2024, Astro Shaw lifted the curtain on its boldest long-term plan yet: the Astro Shaw Cinematic Universe (ASCU), a shared universe tying together characters from across its film and TV slate, all building toward a major crossover event projected for around 2028.

Through 2025, the studio continued releasing a steady slate of films and series — but one big question hung over the rollout: how would the ASCU actually look, and how would such different genres connect under one universe?

That answer finally arrived yesterday with Astro Shaw Cinematic Universe: The Beginning, a three-minute, 44-second first-look video that plants the earliest connective tissue of the ASCU.

Crucially, the video isn’t linked to any specific film or show. Instead, it works as a universe-level prologue — a mood-setter that shows how each story can stand alone while still coursing through a bigger, evolving mythology.

Malay Mail was among the first to catch the preview at TGV Suria KLCC before its official release later that night across Astro’s platforms at around 9pm.

The footage brings back some of Astro Shaw’s most recognisable characters, including Polis Evo’s Inspektor Sani and Inspektor Khai, Kahar from Projek: High Council, and a striking early glimpse at the rebooted Keluang Man — signalling a bold reimagining of a Malaysian cultural icon for a new generation.

The project was conceptualised by Astro Shaw Creative Director Alfie Palermo and directed by digital VFX star Sofyank with Mshaffuan, paired with cinematography by Nicholas Chin, who won Best Cinematography at Festival Filem Malaysia ke-34 (FFM34) for Blood Brothers: Bara Naga.

Raja Jastina Raja Arshad, Head of Astro Shaw, stressed that ASCU is being built with patience, not speed. 

“This First Look is not about rushing toward convergence,” she said. 

“It is about laying a strong foundation and building with intention, care, and respect for the stories and audiences that have supported these characters over the years. 

“ASCU is a universe in progress, an open creative platform designed to grow with new ideas, new creators, and new characters. 

“It is about creating a future-facing ecosystem that gives Malaysian storytellers the space to imagine bigger worlds, longer character journeys, and stories that can endure over time.”

In a Malay Mail interview last March, Jastina said the ASCU aims to strengthen — not dilute — creativity, allowing titles to stay standalone and genre-diverse while using subtle touchpoints to grow each IP’s reach, value, and storytelling potential.

She noted then that the final lineup of ASCU titles was still being mapped out, hinting that both legacy and new characters might eventually intersect — though nothing was confirmed at the time.

Now, Astro Shaw Cinematic Universe: The Beginning strongly suggests that Keluang Man, Polis Evo, and Projek: High Council form the ASCU’s first building blocks, aligning with Jastina’s earlier comments that past and present characters could coexist in one universe.

Through the ASCU, Astro Shaw is positioning itself to build a multi-year, multi-platform creative ecosystem — one that lets filmmakers explore long-form, interconnected narratives; gives actors room to grow their characters across multiple titles; allows writers and showrunners to craft rich, expansive worlds; and opens doors for brands and partners to align with culturally resonant, large-scale storytelling.

Astro Shaw Cinematic Universe: The Beginning is now streaming across all Astro Shaw social platforms, offering a polished, internationally scaled teaser rich in cinematic ambition — and setting a new bar for Malaysian-made content.

Audiences can expect more updates, character reveals, and hints at what’s next as Astro Shaw charts a cinematic journey aimed at placing Malaysian stories firmly on the regional and global stage.