Hong Kong Director Danny Pang Makes His Taiwan Directorial Debut, Collaborating with Wanin International Visual Enterprise to Expand into the International Market

Hong Kong's renowned horror film director, Danny Pang, known as the "Ghost King," is directing the supernatural thriller "Host" produced by Wanin International Visual Enterprise. The film held its opening ceremony today at the company's building. The movie brings together Golden Horse Award-winning actress Beatrice Fang, box office star Ming-Shuai Shih from the "Gatao" series, along with Samuel Ku, Oscar Lin, and new generation actors Joseph Huang, Liting Hsu, Bruce Chiu, and Tai-Ho Chen to create a new type of hotel horror film.

Director Danny Pang, who established his reputation as a master of Chinese horror films with the "The Eye" series, is directing a movie in Taiwan for the first time. He expressed his excitement about working and living in Taiwan, finding the experience quite novel. He was particularly impressed with the "Hollywood-level" meticulousness of the Taiwanese film crew's operations. Wanin International Visual Enterprise 's General Manager, Benson Chen, feels honored to collaborate with Danny Pang and hopes that this horror project will mark a significant milestone in their production efforts.

Regarding the story's filming, the director sees it as a new challenge for his narrative and editing techniques. He also aims to incorporate folklore taboos associated with staying in hotels and reveal the unknown special handling methods for rooms where incidents have occurred.

Ming-Shuai Shih and Beatrice Fang, who previously portrayed siblings in " Day Off " reunite in "Host" Both are typically fearful of horror films, making their upcoming performances unprecedented. Beatrice Fang, who plays an outdoor TV host in the movie, admitted to only daring to read the script during the daytime. Upon seeing herself in special effects makeup for the first time, she was so frightened that she cried. Before filming, she also prayed to her ancestors and deities for protection. On set, if scared, she plans to call out to "Brother" Ming-Shuai Shih for comfort, saying, "Help me lower my fear !"

Ming-Shuai Shih jokingly described the roles in the film as having a lot of room for imagination and high difficulty. He's eager to see how Beatrice Fang will interpret her character. Recently, Shih was announced to be married and has become a new-generation box office star with "GATAO: Like Father Like Son" He took on the role of the hotel manager in "Host" because of the unique script and the opportunity to work with Director Danny Pang. Despite his courage in accepting the challenge, he has prepared protective charms, sage, and Palo Santo for after filming.

In addition, new-generation actor Joseph Huang, known for his performances in "Dear Ex" and "Goddamned Asura," will play the key role that ties the story together, with many breakthrough scenes. He expressed his love for horror and thriller films and felt a bit nervous about his easy-going personality when working with a Hong Kong director for the first time. Director Danny Pang, however, praised Sheng-Qiu for merging with his role since the audition, consistently staying in character, and eagerly anticipating his performance.

Liting Hsu, Bruce Chiu, and Tai-Ho Chen, who play high school classmates staying at the hotel with Joseph Huang, grew up being scared by Danny Pang's "The Eye" series. They are all excited to participate in a horror film. Tai-Ho Chen even sought assurance from the director that the horror film set would be fun and not scary at all. The four young actors developed camaraderie during the pre-filming action training, which included high-difficulty challenges. Liting Hsu, tasked with backbends and handstands, jokingly said, "This might be the time I’m most familiar with walls!"

Oscar Lin, also from the "Gatao" series, plays the film's most mysterious role. He admitted that "The Eye 10" scared him so much as a child that he couldn't play basketball. Incorporating two extreme elements into his character was a challenging task, and he's looking forward to creating compelling scenes with Joseph Huang.

Directed by Danny Pang, "Host" tells the story of a couple of kidnappers, a domestic abuse survivor TV host, and four high school students on a graduation trip who check into a mysterious hotel on a rainy night, unaware that they have awakened something more evil than ghosts when they knock on the door. The film is scheduled to wrap up filming in September and will be released in Taiwan and overseas markets in 2025.