Barunson E&A, the Korean production and sales company behind Oscar winner Parasite, will handle international sales on Zona Merah: Dead City, a feature film adapation of acclaimed Indonesian horror series Zona Merah.
Produced by Indonesia’s Screenplay Films, the project is co-directed by Sidharta Tata and Fajar Martha Santosa, the creators behind the original series, which became a hit on Indonesian streaming platform Vidio. Tata is returning as screenwriter and Santosa is overseeing story development to ensure continuity from series to feature.
Much of the original cast will reprise their roles, including Aghniny Haque, Andri Mashadi, Maria Theodore, Devano and Lukman Sardi, joined by new cast members Luna Maya, Bryan Domani, Shindy Huang, Myesha Lin and Derby Romero. Principal photography began on April 7 and continues through May 2026.
Barunson E&A will introduce the film to buyers in Cannes, along with Inherit, a Thai horror movie directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun and produced by GDH 559; and Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar’s Ghost In The Cell, which had its world premiere in Berlin and is close to reaching two million admissions in its home market.
Screenplay Films also has credits including Wait Until I Make It, currently the second highest-grossing film of 2026 in Indonesia, and Gundala, directed by Joko Anwar, which premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in 2019.
The original Zona Merah series, following a woman searching for her missing brother during a rapidly spreading zombie outbreak, drew more than 34 million views and resulted in a surge of new subscribers for Emtek-owned Vidio. The feature adaptation expands the story into a darker, more ambitious narrative, raising the stakes as another city falls and a new red zone emerges.
Screenplay Films CEO Wicky V. Olindo said: “Zona Merah showed us what’s possible when a story truly connects with its audience – the kind of connection that extends beyond a single format. Expanding it into a feature felt like a natural progression, both commercially and creatively. Zona Merah: Dead City builds on everything the series established, and we’re pleased to have Barunson E&A with us on this next step.”
Yoonhee Choi, CEO of Barunson E&A, added: “Indonesia’s genre landscape is at an inflection point – audiences are becoming more adventurous, creators are pushing boundaries, and stories from this market are increasingly resonating globally. Zona Merah was an early signal of that shift, and Zona Merah: Dead City takes it further. Cannes will be the right place to introduce it to the world.”