Sisters Indra and Erlina Suharjono are giving the iconic Cathay-Keris Films library a new lease of life, with contemporary remakes already under way as part of broader plans for their new shingle, I.E. Entertainment.

Contemporary remakes of classic Asian films – "Sun, Moon and Star" and "The Greatest Civil War on Earth" – are on their way for the first time as part of the new shingle set up this month by Asian entertainment veterans, Indra and Erlina Suharjono. 

The new Singapore-based company, I.E. Entertainment, has exclusive distribution and remake rights to the iconic Cathay-Keris Films’ Chinese and Malay libraries, and will also develop, produce, market and distribute content around the world. 

After more than three decades each in the business, the Suharjonos will also work with Asian filmmakers to create fresh slates of content that speak to shifting tastes and audiences, and will handle licensing and merchandising for live-action and animation content.

The Cathay catalogues house 166 Chinese titles and 91 Malay titles, across a wide range of genres, including comedy, drama and musicals. Ultimately owned by Meileen Choo’s Cathay Organisation, the films have been professionally restored and archived in Hong Kong and Singapore.

“The library is a rich source of fresh stories, particularly for China, Korea and Japan,” Indra says. “It opens up lots of opportunities to use tried-and-tested successful stories to be updated and tailor-made to suit local audiences in various countries,” she adds.

I.E. chose "Sun, Moon and Star" and "The Greatest Civil War on Earth" because “they can be easily adapted and the stories are still relevant”.

Yi Wen's multiple award-winning war epic "Sun, Moon and Star" – the most expensive Hong Kong film of its time with a budget of HK$700,000 –  stars You Min, Ge Lan and Ye Feng in the story of star-crossed young lovers separated by war, turmoil and conflict who realise years later that the only constant is true love. 

Director Wang Tianlin's 1961 comedy, The Greatest Civil War on Earth, stars Bai Luming and Liang Xingbo in a tale of a swanky Northern tailor who sets up shop next to an old-fashioned Cantonese tailor, sparking off a mighty feud.   

Although still popular on the film festival circuit, the Cathay-Keris titles from the 1950s and 1960s have for the most part been commercially mothballed for more than four decades. The emergence of streaming platforms, with their voracious appetites for content, has created new demand.

“Over the last five years, the real winners across the Asian continent have largely been local releases,” co-founder Erlina says, adding: “Asian filmgoers tend to pivot to local content vs. Hollywood titles. There are more homegrown talents and stories in Asia that we could tap.” 

Published in ContentAsia's April 2021 magazine