'Filosofi Kopi' Sequel to Feature New Story, Wider Scope
Jakarta. Film director Angga Dwimas Sasongko said "Filosofi Kopi: Ben & Jody," the sequel to 2015's "Filosofi Kopi," will feature a bigger adventure for protagonists Ben, played by Chicco Jerikho, and Jody, played by Rio Dewanto, who return to Jakarta to meet with new partners and run their shop.
The 2015 drama ends with Ben and Jody leaving their coffee shop in Jakarta to travel around Indonesia. In the sequel, the two best friends work with new characters, Tarra, played by Luna Maya, and Brie, played by Nadine Alexandra. Speaking during the third day of filming in South Jakarta on Thursday (05/01), Angga said the sequel's story line was devised after considering four separate stories written for the film – one by him, one by scriptwriter Jenny Jusuf and two from their story competition winners Christian Armantyo and Frischa Aswarini.
"We have gone through quite a long process in creating new characters. The script is no longer based on Dee's short story. We need characters with their own uniqueness," Angga said.
"Tarra was created by Arman, and Frischa wrote about Brie."
Other than new characters, Angga said the sequel will also explore more locations in Indonesia. After shooting ends in Jakarta, the cast and crew will continue filming in Bali, Yogyakarta, Makassar and Toraja for the rest of January.
Angga, also the chief executive officer of Jakarta-based film company Visinema Pictures, said that the sequel is a bigger project than the previous film in terms of production scale.
"We are treating the sequel as more than just a movie, but as a brand."
The film is scheduled for release in Indonesian cinemas in July, but not before Visinema Pictures releases a considerable amount of supplementary content throughout the first half of 2017. This content includes a web series ready to launch soon, a graphic novel to be published in March, a radio play that will be broadcast in 40 cities, and merchandise such as t-shirts and action figures.
"We had so much fun making the first movie, and that feeling is still there every time we meet. Chicco and Rio still call each other Ben and Jody when they hang out, so we want to continue doing this. And we definitely will make a third 'Filosofi Kopi' movie regardless of how profitable 'Ben and Jody' is," Angga said.
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