In the world of Thai films, there's no director hotter than Nattawut "Baz" Poonpiriya at this moment. The 40-year-old filmmaker is reportedly to direct a new English-language horror film, entitled The Innkeeper, for production company Starlight who's behind the global phenomenon of 2018's Crazy Rich Asians.
According to Deadline, The Innkeeper will tell a story of a man who has to face his own great terror when encountering his long-lost twin brother in an abandoned hotel. The movie will set in 1997's Southeast Asian financial crisis era.
Baz and Eakasit Thairath (Warrior King 2 [2013]), in collaboration with Logan Martin (Meat [TBA]), are in charge of the script, and the shooting is scheduled to take off in both the US and Thailand next year.
The Countdown director also has another highly anticipated project, One for the Road, coming out later this year. Legendary Wong Kar Wai is listed as the producer of Baz's forthcoming flick, which is about a road trip that will test the friendship between two guys and one of whom is dying. One for the Road was nominated in World Cinema Dramatic Competition for the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, as well as Director Award and Special Jury Award. Most importantly, it is the very first Thai film that was showcased at Sundance Film Festival and won World Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision.
With a series of accolades and success from his previous endeavors, Baz still has more work in progress like a new Netflix original series about the notorious cave rescue incident with American director John M. Chu who gave birth to popular flicks like Step Up 2: The Streets (2008) and Crazy Rich Asians (2018).