Enrique Gil recently chatted with entertainment press for the publicity run of his latest film Strange Frequencies Taiwan Killer Hospital, an official entry for the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival. The actor shared their experiences of shooting the said film in one of the most haunted places in Taiwan. “Napanood ko sa YouTube, and I sent a message to the content creator. I told him I love his content, and this became the inspiration for the film, which is also based on a 2018 film” Gil said.
Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital is from the production duo of Matti and Monteverde known for hits such as On the Job (2013), Honor Thy Father (2015), Seklusyon (2016), BuyBust (2018) and Kuwaresma (2019), and is also in partnership with Gil. The local adaptation will feature a brazen group of young actors from the Philippines as they set out to explore and film in Xinglin Hospital, one of Taiwan’s most haunted places. Gil leads the group of real-life personalities, including actress Jane De Leon (Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme), Alexa Miro and Rob Gomez (A Girl and a Guy),beauty queen MJ Lastimosa (Day Zero) with tarot reader Raf Pineda. Content creator Ryan “Zarckaroo” Azurin, a local video creator known for filming actual footage in some of the region’s most haunted places and offbeat places, with some 1.6 million subscribers on YouTube, also joins the cast.
Following the format of the Korean original, the group of Filipino amateur ghosthunters will explore the notorious Xinglin Hospital, an abandoned buildinglocated in Taiwan’s West Central District. The beleaguered asylum is considered by locals as one ofthe most haunted places in Taiwan due to its recurring paranormal activities. Dubbed as the Philippines’ very first meta found footage horror film, audiences and critics-alike are already looking forward to this reimagined style of filming technique.
The Korean version was 2018’s Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, directed by Jung Bum-shik. Based on an actual psychiatric hospital located in Gwangju-si, it starred actors Wi Ha-joon (Squid Game), Park Ji-hyun (The Divine Fury), Oh Ah-yeon (Mr. Sunshine), Moon Ye-won (Legal High), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory, Queen of Tears), Yoo Je-yoon(Extreme Job) and Lee Seung-wook(Joseon Fist). It was a commercial hit in its native South Korea attracting more than 2.6 million viewers and U$21 million in box office takings, becoming the second biggest gross for a Korean horror film that year. The project was produced by
With Strange Frequencies Taiwan Killer Hospital being Reality MMStudios’ official entry to the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival, it will open on 25 December 25 in cinemas across the metro. It also recently caught the attention of Hollywood publication Variety.