Halfworlds rising on HBO Asia

JAKARTA — A lifeless body of a woman lies in a dark corner, drenched in blood — another easy prey. A female palasik, beautiful but treacherous, just scored another kill. As she savors the flesh of the mortal’s unborn, her ears caught the sound of footsteps approaching. She sharply turns and gives the bewildered stranger a hissing look — run while you still can.

Sarah, a tormented street artist who lives in a perilous Jakarta district, is shaking in grave disbelief. But she’s sure of what she’s seeing — blood and horror. She races for help and escapes... for now. Because little did she know, this band of ravenous creatures is out to get her next.

Danger lurks in Sarah’s mysterious life, and the fate of an impending war between two worlds rests on her fingertips (her paintings, to be specific.) There will be victors and there will be more blood.

When the dark fully rises, where will you be? You may choose to run, but in Joko Anwar’s exciting new universe, there’s no escaping. So better keep one eye open and enjoy the thrilling ride to survive.

In a recent press conference at The Ritz Carlton-Jakarta, renowned Indonesian director Joko Anwar, together with HBO Asia’s CEO Jonathan Spink, executive producer Erika North and the stellar cast, officially opened the doors to Halfworlds. HBO Asia’s newest original TV series breathes new life into Indonesia’s centuries-old urban legends.

Edgy, clever, violent and stylishly sexy, Haflworlds takes viewers to the bustling streets and back alleys of modern-day Jakarta, where the demits (or demons of various kinds) have been living among humans. As this supernatural event called “The Gift” draws near, a young lady named Sarah (played by 22-year-old model-turned-actress Salvita Decorte) finds herself caught in the middle of humans and immortals.

“I grew up watching Indonesian horror films in rundown cinemas back in my hometown; I’ve always wanted to do something with Indonesian ghosts and demons. I’ve dreamed of giving them a new life. When HBO offered me this, I knew it was the opportunity I was looking for,” said Anwar, an award-winning filmmaker who’s known for constantly pushing boundaries and exploring new territories.

Indeed, Anwar has meticulously transformed the demits into creatures that are seductive, modern and iconic.

“I wanted to give Asian ghosts a new style; a new look,” he added.

“We wanted a show that’s rooted in Asian mythology but has the ability to travel across borders. We worked with budding artists like the indie rock band Negative Lovers, and a local group of visual artists that has worked with Marvel and DC Comics,” said Erika North, Halfworlds producer and HBO Asia head of programming and production.

Halfworlds, co-authored by LA-based writer Collin Chang, oozes with a youth-oriented vibe most evident in its music and fashion. The eight-part installment is a mix of animation and live action, led by an ensemble cast from Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

Anwar and North aspired to make the demits as realistic and relatable as possible. And in order to turn this vision into reality, a talented cast and crew were needed.

The STAR was able to sit down with some of the brilliant actors to find out how they prepared for the roles and what the whole experience was like.

Ario Bayu, one of Indonesia’s most respected artists, plays the powerful politician Juragan, who has the Shamanic ability to hide demits from mere mortals. He confessed that he had to gain 10 kilos to look the part.

“I decided to bulk up to look more scary and give justice to my role,” Bayu, who also starred in past HBO Asia productions Serangoon Road and Dead Mine, told the press.

For 29-year-old actress Hannah Al-Rashid, who plays Marni  — a fetus-eating demit (palasik) — taking on such an evil role required great support from the team.

“The darkness can consume us but the cast is amazing; they always make you feel grounded. The show’s extremely dark but the process is very light,” she said.

Adinia Wirasti, a Piala Citra awardee, divulged how Anwar greatly helped them to get into the zone, as she plays a tortured palasik mother who also happens to be the most feared demit of her time.

“We play demons that have human emotions, too. They also talk about sadness, pain, love, power, ambition and hope. There’s always hope in the palasik world and Joko knows how to get us in that state,” the Indonesian Best Actress explained. 

“There’s a certain pressure because of certain expectations, but when everyone’s drawing on the same canvas, on the same winning mindset and has a shared vision, the pressure goes away,” said the 28-year-old Indonesian heartthrob Arifin Putra, who lends his brooding charm and combat skills to Barata — a handsome demit who always trails behind Sarah.

Halfworlds is fortunate to have bright actors on board, like Reza Rahadian (think John Lloyd Cruz and Piolo Pascual of Indonesia), who offer their expertise to improve the show.

“I told Joko that we should try a different attack on portraying (my character) Tony. I wanted him to be cool, flamboyant, fun but still a very evil demit,” said Rahadian, who plays a fur coat-wearing ghost called genderuwo.

For a short period of two months, the cast had to work from day to day that messed up their biological clocks and forced most of them to live like vampires and bats. But the warmth of the set made them love working nonstop.

“Joko doesn’t pressure us, to be honest, but we push ourselves to the limit because we want to make him happy,” the 40-year-old character actor Verdi Solaiman who plays demit slash weapon maker Hasan.

Meanwhile, the three TV newbies — Nathan Hartono, Aimee Saras and Salvita Decorte — had a baptism of sorts by way of the gory and steamy scenes. The 24-year-old Singaporean Hartono plays Coki, Sarah’s indie-rocker boyfriend who struggles to understand the mystery that surrounds his girl. Saras, who did theater in New York for a decade, plays Pinung, a tattoo-less tattooist who’s secretly in love with Coki.

“Reading about the sex scenes made me feel scared at first, but the actual process was perfectly fine. Everyone was nice, professional and welcoming. It helps that you have a very stable support system,” Hartono, who is a jazz artist and theater actor in Singapore, told of his sequences with Decorte.

Accepting such a vital role as Sarah, Salvita thought of disappointing people and herself, but Joko and everyone on set gave her the push that she needed.

“Joko lets us develop our character. He listens to my ideas and guides me every step of the way. He told me to always think of how Sarah, a broken soul, would react to certain situations. I find solace in the fact that Sarah is a painter like me. We both express our feelings more through art and less with words,” she said.

A known actor, director and producer in Malaysia, Bront Palarae  — who plays Juragan’s curious detective  — is definitely not a showbiz neophyte, but Halfworlds is his first time to work with other big names outside his home.

“My wife warned me that I would be swallowed alive by Ario Bayu,” the Malaysian star quipped. “But during the production, there were no ‘big names,’ we all enjoyed working with each other. It was such an experience.”

As Halfworlds delves into the interconnected spheres of human beings and bloodthirsty beasts, the cast and crew of this breakthrough show — with its contemporary yet timeless approach and True Blood-like appeal — hope that this new adventure would successfully capture the hearts of viewers across Asia.

As Palarae pointed out, “I grew up in Canada, and Halfworlds made me want to research more on Indonesian mythology; I think other non-Indonesians would find this one interesting, too.”

“We want Southeast Asians to see certain similarities between our diverse cultures — our myths and legends. We are proud of what we have achieved and we can’t wait to show it to all of you. We also hope that Halfworlds forges its own path to a global audience someday,” North said.

Well, when Halfworlds finds its way into the international scene, we can all bet that the demits can give those Game of Thrones white walkers a run for their own blood money.

(Halfworlds premieres in Manila tonight at 10 only on HBO.)