#SHOWBIZ: 'The Fox King' comes home to cinemas after screenings in Toronto, Busan and Udine

Kuala Lumpur: After attracting attention at film festivals in Toronto, Busan, and Udine, the Malaysian-Indonesian movie The Fox King is finally reaching Malaysian audiences. It opens in cinemas nationwide on September 17, just a day after Malaysia Day. Director Woo Ming Jin, whose film draws from his own childhood experiences with an identical twin, expressed the personal nature of the project.

"There is definitely an autobiographical element to the film," Woo stated. The film follows twin brothers Ali and Amir, played by Idan Aedan and Hadi Putra, respectively, who share a telepathic bond. Their relationship is challenged when their father, portrayed by Amerul Affendi, leaves them, and a new English teacher, Lara, portrayed by Dian Sastrowardoyo, enters their lives.

Woo aimed to create a film about growing up, exploring childhood, adolescence, family, first love, and the challenges of the growing-up process. The movie's lead actress, Dian, found the role's unpredictability and her character's mental health condition particularly liberating, requiring her to step out of her comfort zone. Meanwhile, Hadi, having known Idan since childhood, mentioned that working with his childhood friend was natural.

Idan, on his part, praised Woo for helping him overcome his tendency to overthink his performances. The Fox King's international journey began in 2023 through the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market, winning the Mocha Chai Award at the QCinema Project Market in the Philippines. It then premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival's centrepiece section and screened at various film festivals, including Busan, Jogja-NETPAC Asian, and Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy. A Malaysian gala premiere took place at TGV Suria KLCC on September 9.