The 'Queen of Malacca' Cast Unveiled at JAFF Market: A Contemporary Southeast Asian Fantasy World
Indonesian filmmaker Angga Dwimas Sasongko unveiled his new action-fantasy feature, 'Queen of Malacca', at the JAFF Market 2025. The film's ensemble cast, including Claresta Taufan, Faris Fadjar, Lutesha, Ganindra Bimo, Dion Wiyoko, Jihane Almira, and Wulan Guritno, was revealed alongside producer Kori Adyanning and veteran Hong Kong stunt coordinator Chan Man Ching. The film is set in a contemporary Southeast Asian-inspired fantasy world with its own mythology, languages, and cultural logic.
Sasongko described the film as a modern, contemporary piece, drawing inspiration from Southeast Asia's belief systems, philosophy, writing, and heirlooms. The film's action language is a hybrid of silat, deeply rooted in Indonesian cinema, and influences from Hong Kong action films. To achieve this mix, Sasongko has paired rising Indonesian choreographer and actor Reza Hilman with Chan and his Hong Kong team.
Chan, who has worked in Hong Kong, mainland China, and Hollywood, including with Jackie Chan, aims to create a new style by combining different people and characters. Cast members spoke about the physical intensity of the project, with Jihane Almira breaking from her elegant public image and Dion Wiyoko returning to action after 16 years.
Sasongko emphasized that each performer's action design was built around their individual physical vocabulary, with Man Ching and Reza assessing every actor's physical capability and movement. The film's principal photography commences on December 3rd, and the JAFF Market 2025 served as the most detailed public rollout yet.
Sasongko heads the Indonesian studio Visinema, and after leading its corporate transformation and shepherding 'Jumbo', Indonesia's most successful animated film, he is back in the director's chair with 'Queen of Malacca'. The film is one of Sasongko's most ambitious genre undertakings, following 'Wiro Sableng', '13 Bombs', and 'Heartbreak Motel'.
