JAkarta. 'Losmen Melati', an original horror series in the Indonesian language by Catchplay and Singapore’s Infinite Studios and with the support of Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), has officially begun principal photography.

The show is a 10-part series; each episode tells a thrilling story centering on a mysterious guest house and the mind-twisting deaths of its visitors, one after another.

This series will be brought to life by Infinite Studios’ CEO Mike Wiluan as showrunner and director ('Buffalo Boys', 'Grisse') and one of Indonesia’s most sought after genre movie directors, Billy Christian ('Folklore 2', “The Sacred Riana: Beginning”) as co-director.

“We are excited to be producing the first Bahasa Indonesian series for our Indonesian subscribers," Daphne Yang, the CEO of Catchplay Group, said in a recent press statement.

“From our user data, it is quite obvious that horror is super welcome in Indonesia and always enjoys high watching minutes. Through the international joint efforts under this co-production structure, we hope Losmen Melati can give new looks to Indonesian horror while entertaining our audience with great story-telling," she said.

The series has attached an ensemble cast including Alexandra Gottardo ('Grisse', 'Foodlore'), Kiki Narendra ('KKN','Gundala,' 'Teka-Teki Tika'), Dwi Sasono ('Dua Garis Biru'), Imelda Therrine ('Tarung Sarung'), Cornelio Sunny ('Paranoia'), Fandy Christian, Adinda Breton, Bimasena, Shareefa Danish, Widika Sidmore and Putra Dinata.

 “A lot of hard work and effort has gone into the creation of this show. The characters have been developed extensively and really come together to demonstrate the overall mood and feel of the world that is ‘Losmen Melati’," Alexandra Gottardo said.

Although this is a horror series, there is a real depth to the characters that will draw the audience in and make them really empathize with each individual, according to Alexandra.

"I feel so fortunate to be working on a TV show with a concept I love with such talented and creative people," Alexandra said.

Positioned as a premium movie production, Losmen Melati has undergone over a year of scripting followed by eight weeks of pre-production where the core teams prepared for an intensive 50-day shoot.

As Losmen Melati is supernatural horror, there is a strong emphasis on production design, makeup, wardrobe as well as visual effects. The shoot commenced on the 7th of May at Infinite’s studios in Batam.

The series aims for a premiere by end of 2022 on the Catchplay+ OTT platform among others across the region. 

'Losmen Melati' Synopsis
Losmen Melati is an old Dutch colonial plantation turned guest house.

The house was once owned by a local doctor, Kusno, who secretly carried out an inhuman experiment on the deceased. Upon the arrival of Melati, a young girl of the village who surrounds herself with the occult and folklore, it soon was revealed that the house and its occupants were cursed by the spirits of the dead. 

By embracing the dark curse, Melati has gained eternal life in the hope to revive her late son.

Over the decades, Losmen Melati has become a place where the lost, wondering, and tired gather. Melati can read the guests' circumstances and fears, which the house feasts on and amplifies. It is in the guest house's dark rooms where those who check-in find their worst fears manifest. Once you’re in, there’s no checking out.

About Catchplay and Catchplay+

Catchplay is one of the most cutting-edge content and technology companies in the region whose businesses include content distribution, production and digital service. Its recent international content projects include financing of Hollywood movies in addition to regional co-productions of films and drama series.

Catchplay+, the company’s streaming service launched in 2016, now operates in Taiwan and Southeast Asia boasting premium user experience and content offering which includes Hollywood movies, independent films and quality drama series in addition to branded partnerships with HBO GO (Taiwan) and BBC First (Taiwan & Indonesia).

In 2020, the company expanded further upstream and established Screenworks Asia to produce premium original content for the international audiences. For further information, log on to www.catchplay.com.