KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — After winning over audiences in Toronto, Busan and Udine, Malaysia-Indonesia film The Fox King finally opens at home, premiering nationwide on September 17, one day after Malaysia Day.
For director Woo Ming Jin, the film’s journey abroad was always rooted in something deeply personal.
“There is definitely an autobiographical element to the film. I have an identical twin, so some of the story is drawn from my own experiences,” he said.
“My main goal was to make a film about growing up — childhood, adolescence and all the challenges that I think everyone encounters as they grow up, as well as the rites of passage they go through.
“That includes dealing with family, first love, which I think is very important,” he added.
“So in terms of the writing, I wanted to make a film that people could relate to, but also one where every character had layers and complexity.”
Directed by Woo and produced together with Yulia Evina Bhara, Edmund Yeo and Chua Jing Xuan, The Fox King follows twin brothers Ali (Idan Aedan) and Amir (Hadi Putra), who share a telepathic bond.
Their relationship is tested after their father, played by Amerul Affendi, abandons them and a new English teacher, Lara (Dian Sastrowardoyo), enters their lives.
Dian said playing Lara – whose unpredictable moods stem from her mental health conditions – pushed her to confront her own instincts as a performer.
“Playing her gave me a lot of freedom as an actor,” she said.
“I really had to dig deep and let go and surrender to how it might look.
“Sometimes as an actor, you have this sort of self-consciousness about how you look in front of the camera.
“Sometimes you’re in a very controlled way of working and performing.
“But in this kind of work and this kind of project, you need to be able to let go and really surrender.
“You need to be brave enough to explore even parts of yourself and say, ‘I’m going to explore,’” she added.
Hadi said working with Idan felt natural, since the two have known each other since childhood, while Idan said one of his biggest challenges was overcoming his tendency to overthink his performance — something Woo helped him work through.
The film’s international journey began in 2023, when it participated in the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market and later won the Mocha Chai Award at the QCinema Project Market in the Philippines.
It premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival’s centrepiece section, before travelling to the 30th Busan International Film Festival, the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival in Indonesia, and the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.
The film held its Malaysian gala premiere on September 9 at TGV Suria KLCC, with the local cast in attendance and Dian joining via Zoom for a Q&A session.
The Fox King will have a special screening at GSC Mid Valley on September 18, with Dian, Idan and Hadi expected to attend.
