Taiwanese horror film 'The Pig King 4' premieres with deities, blends cultures

Taiwanese film "The Pig King 4: Kuntilanak" premieres across Taiwan on August 27, coinciding with the Ghost Festival. Tonight's premiere event in Ximending transformed the area into a spiritual gathering, with deities from 12 temples present, accompanied by traditional troupes and performers. Figures like Zhong Kui appeared to offer blessings and ward off evil spirits, making the event feel more like a grand temple procession than a typical movie premiere.

Producer Kenji Zou and director Leo Liao led the cast, including Cherrie Chen, Hsu An-chi, Chen Po-cheng, Liu Kuo-shao, Hu Yu-heng, and Huang Shang-ho. Indonesian star Ferry Salim, who flew in for the occasion, completed the "gathering of humans, gods, and ghosts."

Salim plays a powerful Indonesian shaman tasked with resolving possession crises, engaging in intense scenes with Hsu An-chi and Hu Yu-heng. Despite his role, Salim has embraced Taiwanese culture, enjoying bubble tea and local snacks. He and Hsu An-chi have bonded over sharing recommendations for cafes and restaurants in Jakarta and Taipei.

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I thought I wanted an urn, but they brought me a human!

During filming in Indonesia, Hsu An-chi attempted to speed up communication by learning a few Indonesian words, including the term for "urn." Her attempt led to a humorous misunderstanding when a crew member brought another staff member instead of the prop, as the crew member's name sounded remarkably similar to the Indonesian word for "urn." This linguistic mix-up turned a potentially eerie moment into a comedic interlude.

The film blends Taiwanese Zhong Kui culture with the Southeast Asian ghost "Kuntilanak." The soundtrack also features Taiwanese artists, with "The Pig King 4" aiming to establish the Ghost Festival slot as a major Asian horror battleground between Zhong Kui and Kuntilanak.

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I feel a sense of comfort seeing new and old actors gathered together. I've watched the series grow from focusing on Taiwanese folk beliefs to reaching an international audience, and it feels like a generational passing of the torch.