Wednesday, December 30, 2009

The most popular Thai films of 2009


While I am still grinding away on my own list of top Thai films of 2009 -- the year isn't over yet, and there are still films being released -- that hasn't stopped sharp-pencil folks from compiling their own lists.

Lyn's Lakorns has a couple of posts that indicate the most popular Thai films of 2009, one by box-office rankings, and by ranking in a popularity poll.

First, the top five grossing Thai films:

  1. Rot Fai Fah Ma Ha Na Ter (Bangkok Traffic (Love) Story), 145.4 million baht
  2. 5 Phrang (Phobia 2), 113.5 million baht
  3. Wongkumlao, 97 million baht
  4. Saranair Haao Peng, 96 million baht
  5. Yam Yasothon 2, 88 million baht

GTH is raking it in, with the top two movies being record breakers. The horror-shorts anthology Phobia 2 had a record first-day opening of 15 million baht, only to be surpassed by BT(L)S with 15.1 million. And BT(L)S is the biggest earner for GTH so far, topping 2003's Fan Chan.

The rest are all efforts from Sahamongkol, and their success is a sign of things to come from that studio -- more comedies, less action. There will likely be sequels for all three. The comedies are more profitable, having lower production costs than the action films like Jija: Raging Phoenix, which tanked, and Ong-Bak 2, which ... well, I don't need to rehash what happened with that one, do I? The action films look spectacular for the most part, but are costly for the studio.

Finally, there is the poll by the ABAC Poll Research Center at Assumption International University.

No surprise that BT(L)S actor Ken Theeradej is voted most popular male celebrity of 2009. That's mainly for his starring role in a popular soap, Soot Sanaeha (Recipe for Love), which he plays alongside Anne Thongprasom, the most popular female celebrity.

Here's ABAC's popular movies:

  1. Yam Yasothon 2, 36.7%
  2. Bangkok Traffic (Love) Story, 27.2%
  3. Phobia 2, 10%
  4. Hor Taew Taek Haek Krajerng (Oh My Ghosts!), 5.7%
  5. Wongkumlao, 4.3%

Poj Arnon's and Phranakorn's ghosts-and-gays comedy Hor Taew Taek Haek Krajerng also did pretty well at the box office.

My list of favorites is going to be a bit different.

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