KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — Biopic Anwar: The Untold Story raked in RM1 million on opening day on Thursday.
The film directed by Viva Westi and starring Farid Kamil Zahari as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim opened in over 1000 screens across 120 cinemas across Malaysia.
Distributor DMY Creation Chairman Datuk Mohamed Yusoff said he was surprised the film performed so well in Malaysian cinemas, especially opening alongside blockbusters like Fast X, reported Sinar Harian.
“We are grateful that this film produced by Yusrych Global Sdn Bhd has received an extraordinary response.
“The film paves the way for filmmakers to produce biopics about other figures in the future. It proves the audience's acceptance of the biopic based on the true story of a living statesman.”
He claimed that the film received ‘ratings of up to eight to ten’ from audiences.
Executive producer and writer Zulkiflee Anwar Haque, or better known as Zunar, also said that many Malaysians came to cineplexes to watch the film, many even booking tickets in advance.
“We hope that the response to this film will continue because we are targeting a high collection for this film,” he said.
Anwar: The Untold Story recounts the exploits of Anwar as finance minister and deputy prime minister from 1993 to 1998 and his fight against corruption.
The film also stars Indonesian actress Acha Septriasa as Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Hasnul Rahmat as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
