Buppha moves to Japan
By Tatat Bunnag, photos by Varuth Haranyatheb and courtesy of Sahamongkol Film
There's good news for fans of the popular horror comedy franchise Buppha Rahtree, as famous director Yuthalert Sippapak is bringing the spooky legend back to life in Buppha Arigato.
The latest Buppha film has a new story, so fans of the original shouldn't expect to see Cherman Boonyasak in the leading role again. Instead, Buppha Arigato stars up-and-coming 23-year-old Suppassara Thanachart (Kao) as Buppha Rahtree, and this time she will haunt you all the way to Japan!
Kao stars opposite Fan Chan's Charlie Potjes (Nak) who plays a famous singer. He encounters the terrifying Buppha in Japan.
Student Weekly caught up with Kao and 23-year-old Nak for an exclusive interview as they told us all about the making of Buppha Arigato, which opens in cinemas this week.
Student Weekly: How did you first become involved with the project?
Kao: I was contacted by Sahamongkol a few months ago. They said that Yuthalert wanted me to play Buppha. At first I thought it's going to be a remake, and I was freaked out because Ploy (Cherman Boonyasak) was perfect as that character, and there's no way I could compete with what she did. But this is something completely new.
Nak: I was called to audition to be in Buppha Arigato. I got to use my real name in the film too, which is good.
Student Weekly: Can you tell us more about the new Buppha Arigato?
Nak: It's a completely different movie with a new story, cast and location. Everything is set in Japan, but it's as funny and scary as the old films.
Student Weekly: Can you tell us more about your characters?
Nak: Nak is a singer who goes to Japan to film a music video. The team stays in a hotel in Niseko where they experience all kinds of scary events.
Kao: My character is Rose or Buppha Rahtree. She's very complicated and unpredictable and killed her last boyfriend. She meets Nak who looks like her ex, so all her love and hate return.
Student Weekly: Nak, is it true that the director wrote your character based on your real life?
Nak: Yes, but just a part of it. Yuthalert asked me about my life. I told him I'm into music and writing my own songs, so he made my character a musician.
Student Weekly: Were you familiar with Buppha Rahtree and other work by Yuthalert before working on the project?
Kao: Of course. I watched the first Buppha Rahtree when I was young because I was too scared to see it in the theatre. I love Yuthalert's movie Sai Lor Fah (Pattaya Maniac).
Nak: I think most Thais are familiar with Buppha's legacy.
Student Weekly: Nak, the film also features Chalermpon Thikampornteerawong (Jack) and other actors from your Fan Chan days. How does it feel to work with them again?
Nak: Actually I've worked with some of them in movie or TV shows, but this is the first time we're all in a movie together. It was fun.
Student Weekly: What was the most memorable moment during filming?
Nak: Everything about filming went smoothly and we all enjoyed Japan. It was fun to hang out with a lot of friends. It was more like a holiday than work.
Kao: I enjoyed skiing in the movie. I didn't know how to ski so I had to learn half an hour before shooting. I fell many times, but I enjoyed the experience.
franchise (n): a series of films that have the same or similar titles and are about the same characters
haunt (v): if the ghost of a dead person haunts a place, people say that they have seen it there
encounter (v): to experience somthing, especially somthing unpleasant or difficult
audition (n): a short performance given by an actor or singer so that somebody can decide whether they are suitable to act in a movie or sing in a concert
unpredictable (adj): if a person is unpredictable, you cannot predict how they will behave in a particular situation
legacy (n): something that happened in the past or that comes from somebody in the past
