Indonesian 'Descendants of the Sun' Film Hits Busan Market — SkimNews
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- Barunson E&A is launching international sales for an Indonesian big-screen adaptation of the 2016 Korean series "Descendants of the Sun" at the Asian Contents & Film Market in Busan, running Oct. 10-13.
- Production has wrapped on both parts of the film, which were shot back-to-back, with Part One aiming for an Indonesian theatrical bow by mid-2027.
- NEW (Next Entertainment World), owner of the original IP, has joined as co-production company alongside Dapur Film, Tobali Putra Productions, NEWKO, and Barunson C&C.
- Hanung Bramantyo directs, with the source noting his prior "Miracle in Cell No. 7" ranks as Indonesia's eighth-highest-grossing domestic release.
- Reza Rahadian (Locarno Golden Leopard winner for "Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash") and Dian Sastrowardoyo (Netflix's "Cigarette Girl") lead the cast.
- The original 2016 series drew a 38.8% rating in Korea and over two billion streams on China's iQIYI, and the source notes it was "similarly popular in Indonesia a decade ago."
- Barunson E&A's broader ACFM slate also includes "Satan's Slaves: Origin," "Stoneborn" (with Jongseo Jeon and Sul Kyung-gu), and "Ugly Duckling Ms. Maeng," debuting at BIFF ahead of an Oct. 28 theatrical release.
Why it matters: The two-part, back-to-back shoot and a mid-2027 Indonesian theatrical target point to a pre-existing local audience — the source explicitly notes the original series was already popular in Indonesia a decade ago, and director Hanung Bramantyo's eighth-highest-grossing domestic track record reduces commercial risk for international buyers shopping the Busan market.
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