Produced by Million Star Pictures, co-produced by Teng Yang Pictures and D Channel, the Malaysian original film 'The Nine Emperor' (The Nine Emperor), supervised, directed, and written by Don Hoe, has successfully wrapped filming after several weeks, with a warm and lively wrap party held recently to celebrate the smooth completion of filming with all cast and crew.
Hong Kong veteran actor Philip Keung (Keung Ho-Man) especially thanked all staff at the banquet, highly praising the entire crew for their professionalism and high efficiency, as well as their strong teamwork and rapport.
“This crew is really amazing and very fit. Everyone was highly professional and committed. I just watched some rough cut footage on site. Even though it hasn’t been color-graded, music added, or undergone fine editing, it already feels great—many scenes moved me deeply.”
He further expressed his strong confidence in the film's quality.
“I believe 'The Nine Emperor' will definitely be an excellent work and hope for great box office success. This certainly won’t be our last time working together—I hope there will be more opportunities to make films together in the future.”
Smoother Than Expected: Nearly Wrapped Up Early Every Day
Don Hoe shared that filming went even more smoothly than anticipated, with seamless cooperation throughout the team.
“The entire shooting period was really smooth. We were able to wrap up early almost every day. Everyone was in great spirits daily, and the atmosphere on set was very happy.”
He revealed that the film is currently at the “rough cut” stage. While it has yet to undergo color grading, music production, or fine editing, the visual effects have already exceeded the team’s expectations.
“What we’re seeing now is just the rough cut, but many scenes are already very moving. I believe once post-production is finished, the overall effect will be even more stunning.”
A Series of Amazing Coincidences: Rain Often Stopped Just in Time
Besides the smooth filming process, the director also shared a series of coincidences that occurred during production, making the entire crew sense an unexplainable power at work.
Don Hoe explained that it rained almost every day during filming, yet amazingly, every time it was time for an important shot, the rain would stop just in time, allowing the crew to finish the day’s work smoothly.
One of his most memorable days was shooting the film’s most crucial “great deity trance” scene.
That day, it was raining heavily on set and the crew was worried they wouldn’t finish shooting, having to just wait. It wasn’t until about 6 p.m. when the rain suddenly stopped and the sky cleared. The crew immediately began filming and successfully completed the entire scene, officially finishing the final shot of the film, providing a perfect ending.
Reflecting later, he suddenly realized that 6 p.m. is precisely the time when, in folk belief, the “transition of the spirits” occurs.
“It occurred to me—maybe the great deity actually wanted us to wait until 6 p.m. before allowing us to shoot the trance scene? While it’s hard to explain, the entire process was extremely coincidental and made us even more respectful toward traditional beliefs.”
Sharing Her Filming Journey: Chen Junjun Feels It Was All Meant to Be
Chen Junjun, who plays the female lead and also serves as the film’s producer, became emotional and teared up while sharing her journey at the wrap party.
She admitted that the filming had been extremely stressful—she had to perform as an actress while also shouldering the producer’s responsibilities, coordinating all matters big and small for the crew.
“The thing that stressed me out the most was that we couldn’t find a key location for one important scene. We searched many places, but the director kept finding them unsuitable and rejected them one by one. It was a huge source of stress at the time.”
She shared that in her most helpless moment, she visited a Ji Gong temple next to the main location, the Dou Mu Temple on Penang Hill, to sincerely pray for help finding the filming site.
“At that time, I prayed to Master Ji Gong to help the team find this location. I was extremely sincere.”
The Ji Gong trance master said, “Within three days, you’ll certainly find it.”
The Ji Gong trance master said, “Within three days, you’ll certainly find it.”
Incredibly, a turning point really came three days later.
That day, Ayer Itam assemblyman Wong Hon Wai visited the set. While chatting with the director, he learned the team was still searching for a location and took the initiative to help contact and arrange things. They ultimately found the director’s ideal filming site, enabling the movie to successfully finish all scenes.
“I’m deeply grateful—it’s as if everything was already arranged by fate.”
Don Hoe: With Coincidences and Helpful People, the Film Felt Blessed
Don Hoe also believes that, from preparation to filming to wrap, the film has been helped by many kind people and fortunate encounters, coupled with a series of coincidences during production, making the team more convinced that the movie was blessed by the deities.
'The Nine Emperor' is rooted in Malaysia’s Nine Emperor Gods Festival culture, blending suspense, family ties, faith, and humanity. Through its gripping story, viewers can deeply understand the unique local Nine Emperor beliefs and feel the spiritual power behind traditional faith.
The film is headlined by Hong Kong Film Awards Best Supporting Actor Philip Keung, with a strong supporting cast of Malaysian talents including Yuen Teng, Wang Yixiang, Chen Junjun, Candy, Leong Mun Fai, Boss HH, and Huang Luxuan.
The movie is now in post-production and is scheduled to officially meet audiences nationwide following the Nine Emperor Gods Festival in 2026.