Taiwan’s Calendar Studios Unveils International Film, Series at TCCF

As a seasoned movie buff with a penchant for international cinema, I must say these upcoming productions from Taiwan’s Calendar Studios have piqued my interest significantly! The unique blend of genres, compelling narratives, and cross-border collaborations make for an exciting cinematic journey.


Taiwan’s Calendar Studios is pushing ahead with two fresh productions as part of their expanding roster: “Call of Lobster,” an international action-comedy blend, and the crime series “The Scammers.” These new projects were officially presented at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF).

Titled “The Lobster Call,” this movie is directed by Yin Chen-Hao, the mind behind “Man in Love.” It takes its cue from a genuine tale about a Taiwanese lobster farmer who willingly instructed farming methods in North Korea. The narrative centers around an individual chasing his dream of lobster farming in North Korea, only to find himself ensnared in a drug-related predicament. This situation compels him to work with a South Korean agent.

Yin shares that the idea for this tale stemmed from an article in Taiwan’s news. An intriguing incident unfolded about Chen Jia-fu, a lobster farmer hailing from Pingtung, who dared to write a letter to North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, offering his expertise in lobster farming. Remarkably, he managed to visit and return from North Korea. Yin has always been captivated by tales of ordinary people achieving the extraordinary. ‘The Call of Lobsters’ weaves its plot around humor, intermingling aspects of espionage, tension, and personal development.

This project gathers a talented team of creatives, comprising executive producers Jin Pai-Lunn and Cheng Wei-Hao, along with producer Chang Ya-ting, renowned for managing large-scale international projects featuring collaborations with the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, who previously worked as Taiwan production supervisor for Martin Scorsese’s “Silence.” Calendar founder Jin aims to finalize casting for the Korean roles and secure financing by mid-2025, with filming scheduled for the second half of the year.

According to Jin, ‘Call of Lobster’ will mark a significant international collaboration for Taiwan. He is excited about showcasing the essence of Taiwanese everyday heroes on the big screen. The movie aims to combine humor, excitement, action, and espionage to create an engaging commercial film that appeals to Asian audiences, offering a unique and invigorating viewing experience.

Simultaneously, the drama series “The Scammers,” helmed by Cheng Wei-Hao (a Golden Horse nominee known for “The Soul”), delves into Taiwan’s fraud networks using ordinary characters as its lens. This show focuses on a group, led by a character named Jiang, who are out to exact revenge on scammers while concealing a secret from decades past.

As a passionate film enthusiast, I’d like to share some insights about a fascinating tale that initially caught my eye from an intriguing article I came across. It delves into the meticulously organized and methodical operations of fraud rings in Taiwan. The narrative skillfully weaves this complex backdrop through ordinary characters, offering viewers a gripping portrayal of their resilience and intelligence as they take on powerful syndicates of deception.

This upcoming series unites executive producer Jin, award-winning producer Lin Shih-ken (Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year at the 2023 Golden Horse Awards), and scriptwriter Chang Yao-sheng, whose “A Sun” screenplay received a Golden Horse nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The production team plans to start filming in late 2025, with lead roles already cast.

In his remarks, Jin highlights that our creative efforts have spanned diverse genres such as romance, terror, mystery, and humor, showcased in productions like ‘Marry My Dead Body.’ He further explains that ‘The Scammers’ is a unique blend of revenge, heist, and crime narratives. This captivating series offers intricate and unexpected fraud strategies and scams, portrayed from the standpoint of average individuals. The suspenseful storylines and exploration of human nature make for an engaging and hard-to-put-down viewing experience.

Read More

2024-11-07 02:19