A new supernatural nightmare
If you thought The Exorcism of God was a lot, director Alejandro Hidalgo is back to keep us up at night. He’s officially tapped to helm The Hungry One, a new supernatural horror flick that is highkey giving main character energy.
The movie is set against the backdrop of Malaysia’s Hungry Ghost Festival—a 15-day event where, according to lore, the gates of the underworld swing open and the dead come to hang with the living. The plot follows Emily, an American woman visiting her Chinese-Malaysian husband Simon’s family mansion. It’s supposed to be a summer getaway, but the vibes get weird fast when a vengeful spirit starts targeting Emily, forcing her to uncover the house’s dark secrets before her family is toast. No cap, the atmospheric potential here is wild.
Behind the scenes
Filmmaker and entrepreneur Justin Leong is driving the project via Lightning Pictures. He’s pulling from his own family’s traditions to make sure the rituals and visuals feel authentic. “When you capture that and shoot it cinematically, it’s movie gold,” Leong said.
The project is stacked with talent, including Oscar-winning producer Harrison Allen, writer Justin Parker, and filmmaker Thomas Percy Kim. It's currently in pre-production as they wrap up the final bit of financing.
Why it matters
With Alejandro Hidalgo’s history—his film The Exorcism of God was the highest-grossing Latin American film of 2022—this is one to watch. The film is already making waves at the Busan International Film Festival, with rights for Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia already snatched up. If you're a horror stan, this is definitely one to keep on your radar.
