There’s a shroud of secrecy of HBO Asia’s fourth original series Halfworlds, but we’ve just been given the chance to look past the veil and take a look at the world the upcoming thriller fully developed by HBO Asia.
It’s not a lot to go on yet – bits of the background and the genre have been released – so this is the most in-depth look we’ve had. There’s a strong sense of mood from this, but it remains to be seen how HBO Asia will approach it’s first take on urban fantasy, after previously working on horror and historical dramas. TODAY has a quickie interview on the set of Halfworlds in Batam that you can check out here.
Set in modern-day Jakarta, Halfworlds tells a tale which features an underground society of demons – known as the Demits – who have been living among humans for centuries. However, something disrupts this delicate balance, and a young street artist (Salvita Decorte) uncovers her true origins after she gets caught in the battle between humans and demons.
Helmed by Indonesian director Joko Anwar who’s making his television debut, the eight-part series is touted as a dark thriller starring an ensemble cast of actors from around the region. Halfworlds stars Indonesians Salvita Decorte, Arifin Putra, Reza Rahadian, Aimee Saras, Adinia Wirasti, Hannah Al-Rashid, Tara Basro, Alex Abbad, Ario Bayu and Verdi Solaiman; Malaysian Bront Palarae, with Singapore’s own Nathan Hartono rounding off the cast. Child star Puteri Balgias of Malaysia – winner of the best actress award at the 2014 Asian Television Awards – will guest star.
Halfworlds premieres on HBO (StarHub TV Ch 601) at the end of the year.
