Folks who’ve been keen on more developments overseas in Malaysia might be interested in what’s ahead with the upcoming release of period action drama, Pendekar Awang. The film is billed as a spin-off follow-up to Syamsul Yusof’s hit flick, Mat Kilau, based one the true story of a rebel warrior’s quest to tame British colonial rule in Pahang the late 19th century.
That film, starring Adi Putra in the title role who led the scrimmages against the British, co-starred Fattah Amin in the role of Awang, a rebel cohort who often clashed with the leader in strategy and hierarchy, before ultimately putting aside their differences. The new movie now sees the supporting character take the mantle with Amin reprising his role before a new cast in Pendekar Awang, with none other than NYAFF Daniel A. Craft award-winning director Areel Abu Bakar (Silat Warriors, Walid) in the director’s chair.
Transparently speaking, I’ve been in touch with a few sources close to the production in the past few months, during which I learned a few troubling things being reported in the news with talks of Bakar being fired by producers from the film as it neared completion. News like that typically tends to give reason to believe there’s something more nefarious at play, and even actor Beto Kusyairy showed concern at one point over the actions of Studio Kembara, as reported by Cinema Online back in October.
The fact that Bakar’s name wasn’t listed as director for months even as the film’s campaign cranked up with character reels and behind-the-scenes promos was frankly a little disturbing. To say the least though, Studio Kembara has begun remedying that in recent days with Bakar finally able to claim his latest work at the forefront, even as he stays the course with his next project, Pungut, which is due later in 2024.
As for Pendekar Awang, it feels a better that I can take part in promoting a film that I’d love to watch in solidarity with Bakar as he continues to build his resumé. On that note, check out the trailer below ahead of its January 11 release!
