‘Folklore’ Horror Series Given Second Season by HBO Asia

WarnerMedia has confirmed a seven-episode second season of its HBO Asia original horror anthology series, “Folklore.” Each instalment will be directed by a local director from a different Asian territory.

With production again headed by Singapore-based film maker Eric Khoo, the new season will begin filming early in 2021. The competed series will be carried later in the year by HBO and HBO Go.

“Folklore Season 2” will feature a mix of established and up-and-coming auteurs, each with distinct sensibilities, including two female directors from the region, HBO said. None return from the first season. The company explained that the new season would “up the fear factor” and “examine the human condition when exposed to supernatural powers in a mind-bending race against oneself.”

The seven directors for the second season include: Sittisiri Mongkolsiri from Thailand; Shih-Han Liao from Taiwan; Erik Matti from the Philippines; Billy Christian from Indonesia’ Nicole Midori Woodford from Singapore; and Bradley Liew from Malaysia. Japanese pop singer-songwriter, Matsuda Seiko, will be making a directorial debut with her segment.

“As the feedback has been so positive for our anthology series, we will not deviate too much from season 1, and will retain the famous ghouls of Asian folklore,” Khoo told Variety. “However we will move away from the social commentary aspect and ramp up the paranormal fear factor.”

Khoo added that Masuda’s segment will be drawn from an event that she personally experienced.

The six-part first season made in 2017-18 was unusual in finding considerable play for different episodes at film festivals around the world. They included generalist events such as Toronto, Tokyo and Geneva, as well as fantasy festivals Sitges, Scream Fest (Singapore), and Fantastic Fest, and Asian-specialty festivals Five Flavours Asian Film Festival (Warsaw), Philadelphia and San Diego, CinemAsia (Amsterdam). Some episodes also found a berth at TV’s Series Mania event in Lille, France.

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