EXCLUSIVE: Director M. Raihan Halim is reuniting with the cast of La Luna, Singapore’s submission for Best International Feature at this year’s Oscars, on family drama Badak, a co-production between Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
La Luna‘s Shaheizy Sam and Wan Hanafi both play fathers struggling to connect with their much beloved children in the new film, which is scheduled for theatrical release in Malaysia on October 2 and in Singapore on October 16. Details of the Indonesian release will be announced soon.
Shaheizy Sam, whose credits also include the Police Evo franchise, plays a deaf single father whose life revolves around his daughter, Mirah. But when she becomes an overnight hip-hop sensation, their once tranquil routine is upended.
The actor underwent a massive physical transformation for the role – gaining 30kg over five months adhering to a strict diet of high sugar, high fat, and junk food. The film started shooting in late 2024 but only wrapped in May 2025 as the production waited six months for him to shed the weight for the second part of the shoot.
Wan Hanafi, who also starred in Cannes Un Certain Regard 2016 title Apprentice, plays a hearing father who has struggled to communicate with his deaf son his whole life. Rounding out the cast are Aida Amron, playing Mirah, and Kahoe Hon (Project: High Council) playing a DJ in the underground hip-hop scene.
“It truly makes me happy to portray two distinct physical forms in one film for the first time,” said Shaheizy Sam. “I believe this will distract viewers from the ‘usual me’, making the character feel new, and it has significantly boosted my confidence, proving my passion for acting is still strong after 30 years.”
Director M. Raihan Halim said: “I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that there’s only one person who has the discipline and dedication to play Badak. That man is Shaheizy Sam. We both had so much fun working on La Luna that I knew I wanted to continue our collaboration with something far more challenging, and yes, scary.”
The film is financed by Singapore’s Clover Films and Malaysia’s Golden Screen Cinemas and Papahan Films, in association with Sinemart Indonesia, Juita Viden, One Tree Holdings, ACT 2 Pictures and Dropkick.
Clover Films, Papahan Films and Malaysian filmmaker Adrian Teh’s ACT 2 Pictures are the main producers on the film, which received support from the Singapore Film Commission and the Infocomm Media Development Authority.
Clover Films and GSC Movies will co-distribute in Malaysia, with Clover Films and Golden Village Pictures jointly handling Singapore distribution.