HBO Asia Original horror anthology series Folklore, which features deeply rooted superstitions and myths across Asia,ramps up the fear factor with the return of a second season. The new six-episode season premieres November 14 at 10pm exclusively on HBO GO and HBO. A new episode will debut every Sunday at the same time.
Folklore Season 2 continues to dive into Asia’s myriad of traditions and beliefs. Set in six different Asian territories – Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore, the series examines the human condition when exposed to supernatural phenomena in a mind-bending race against oneself with each story providing a different take and perspective. Each episode is directed by a local director from that territory.
Directors for this season include Shih-Han Liao from Taiwan, Seiko Matsuda from Japan, Sittisiri Mongkolsiri from Thailand, Erik Matti from the Philippines, Billy Christian from Indonesia and Nicole Midori Woodford from Singapore. Singapore’s award-winning filmmaker Eric Khoo returns as the showrunner.
Highlighting female directors from the region, Japanese pop superstar Seiko Matsuda makes her directorial debut, drawing from personal experience to present an original concept featuring a haunted Japanese idol, while Singaporean director Nicole Midori Woodford’s episode speaks to dealing with family trauma.
Folklore Season 2 also features an ensemble cast from all over Asia. The stellar line-up includes Vivian Sung Yun-Hwa (“Our Times”, “Lost Romance”), Wu Kang-Ren (HBO Asia Original series “The World Between Us”, “A Touch of Green”), Win Morisaki (“Ready Player One”, “Honki No Shirushi” (The Real Thing)), Jennis Oprasert (“Where We Belong”), Dolly de Leon (“Verdict”, “Midnight in a Perfect World”), Lydia Kando (“Boneka dari Indiana” (Doll from Indiana), “Kejarlah Jodoh Kau Kutangkap”) and Mindee Ong (“881”, “The Transcend”) in leading roles in the respective episodes. Produced with the support of the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Folklore is HBO Asia’s very first horror anthology original series. Various episodes of Folklore Season 1 were screened at numerous major international film festivals including Toronto International Film Festival (Toronto, Canada), SITGES International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia (Barcelona, Spain), Fantastic Fest (Texas, USA), Scream Fest (Singapore), Five Flavours Asian Film Festival (Warsaw, Poland), Asian World Film Fest (California, USA), Geneva International Film Festival (Geneva Switzerland), Trieste Science+Fiction Festival (Trieste, Italy), Philadelphia Asian Film Festival (Philadelphia, USA), San Diego Asian Film Festival (San Diego, USA), CinemAsia International Festival (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Festival Series Mania (Lille, France), Tokyo International Film Festival (Tokyo, Japan), and Ehime International Film Festival (Ehime, Japan).
Episode Guide for Folklore Season 2
The Rope, premieres Sunday, November 14 at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
Directed by: Shih-Han Liao (Taiwan) | Cast: Vivian Sung (Sung Yun-Hwa), Wu Kang-Ren
A newly-wed woman is walking home alone after a joyous wedding ceremony when she gets caught in a purification ritual performed for suicide victims. The ritual officers warn her that she will need to follow the ritual, or she will be cursed. However, she runs away despite their warning. Her life is turned upside down with strange phenomena and disturbing hauntings. Fearing that she has been cursed, she seeks aid from the Master of the purification ritual who confirms her worst fears. However, there’s more to the situation than meets the eye and she needs to get to the bottom of the mystery before it destroys her completely.
The Day the Wind Blew, premieres Sunday, November 21 at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
Directed by: Seiko Matsuda (Japan) | Cast: Win Morisaki, Haori Takahashi
Mika is a schoolgirl who meets the man of her dreams – Ken, her favourite singer. As she takes her seat at Ken’s concert, nothing could be more perfect. Not only is she witness to a performance that is everything she’s expected and more, it seems he’s actually taken an interest in her. But something seems amiss. Ever since the day of the concert, a cold wind has stalked the woman’s path as her dream encounter is marred by a bone-chilling presence. What appears to be the beginning of a fairy tale love can only be described as a fable destined for a hellish end.
Broker Of Death, premieres Sunday, November 28 at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
Directed by: Sittisiri Mongkolsiri (Thailand) Cast: Natee Ngamnaewprom (Ton), Jennis Oprasert
Manop is a 45-year-old single father who owns an amulet shop. It doesn’t pay him well, especially when he has to pay for his daughter’s exorbitant medical bills. In fact, his main source of income comes from being a “Broker of Death” – someone who trades in corpses. One day, he is told to pick up a dead body. The corpse is to be a part of the ritual so that a wealthy politician can have more power. Manop has to choose between two frightening options – ghost haunting or poverty.
7 Days Of Hell, premieres Sunday, December 5 at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
Directed by: Erik Matti (Philippines) | Cast: Dolly de Leon, Roshson Barman
A righteous policewoman and mother races against time to save her son when he falls dangerously ill from an unknown cause. When her son is given only a few weeks to live, she discovers that his illness is of supernatural origin and that a powerful sorcerer has cursed him. The only way for her son to survive is for him to apologise and make amends to the sorcerer. As the clock ticks, she is sent on a desperate quest to save her son.
Grandma’s Kiss, premieres Sunday, December 12 at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
Directed by: Billy Christian (Indonesia) | Cast: Lydia Kandou, Ken Zuraida
Marni is a new resident at a nursing home, having been left there by her daughter. She feels abandoned and longs for her old life. She suspects that her roommate Ningsih might be a supernatural being – a Palasik – haunting the home and able to make any wish come true if caught. Will Marni use the Palasik to get what she desires – her old life back?
The Excursion, premieres Sunday, December 19 at 10pm on HBO GO and HBO
Directed by: Nicole Midori Woodford (Singapore) | Cast: Mindee Ong, Ethan Ng, Darren Lim
A troubled mother is depressed and suffering from insomnia. Her husband is never at home and her son talks to an imaginary friend Under immense stress, she starts to see a ghostly, somehow familiar figure in her house. Her son’s erratic behaviour becomes dangerous and life-threatening. Can she save her son and her family before it’s too late?
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Details, video and images provided by HBO in a recent press release.
Jellybeans in the City 