12 YEARENDER Embracing change STAR2, SUNDAY 30 DECEMBER 2018 ENTERTAINMENT Asian success in Hollywood Best of times Crazy rich asians was a commercial success, raking in US$173mil (RM720.5mil) in the United States and US$237mil (RM987mil) worldwide, making it the sixth highest-grossing for Malaysian romantic comedy in the United States ever. It also scooped up two Golden Globe nominations – best motion pic- ture, musical or comedy, and best actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy, for Constance Wu. her nomi- films nation is a historic one as she is the first actress of Asian descent in over 40 years to be nominated in the category. What all this means is Asian actors, By MUMTAJ BEGUM, KENNETH CHAW Asian characters and Asian-centric sto- and SETO KIT YAN ries have a place in hollywood. The cumulative earnings of ly the highest-grossing film this year’s Top 3 films sur- Malaysian film of all time, passed RM100mil, a figure having earned RM20.5mil in that the local film industry just 11 days. At No. 3 was Local TV shows get gritty has never seen before ... Paskal The Movie which ever. At the top of this list earned RM30.5mil and fea- was horror film Munafik 2 tured impressive action with a box-office earning of sequences on par with RM43mil. The 10th film from hollywood productions. director-actor Syamsul Yusof, Another big moment this KL Gangster Underworld pushed the broke all kinds of records year for the local film indus- envelope this year when it let quite a too. It was the highest earn- try after a 12-year long wait few expletives fly – a rare sighting in ing on its sneak preview was the release of Dukun in local TV landscape. The creators of the (RM2.05mil) and highest April, the horror thriller flick six-episode gangster-set series on iflix, opening weekend filmed in 2006 by director say the coarse language was used to (RM5.2mil). In just four days, Dain Said starring Umie Aida. give a more accurate and realistic it earned RM21.6mil, thanks Meanwhile, Vimala depiction of the life of a gangster. to screenings in Malaysia, Perumal’s Vedigundu Online platforms aren’t the only ones Singapore and Brunei. Pasangge became the first breaking new ground. Traditional plat- Mamat Khalid’s Hantu Kak local Tamil and most success- forms like TV3 took a risk with the Limah took second spot with ful movie to pass the RM1mil highly controversial and successful RM36mil, and the hor- with its final number of drama Nur, in May, about the relation- ror-comedy was momentari- RM1.3mil. ship between a pious man and a prosti- tute, played by Syafiq Kyle and Amyra Rosli respectively..