KUALA LUMPUR: Masked Sabahan hero Ejim and his adventure film Tombiruo: Penunggu Rimba will soon have a date with audiences in the United States.
The action film based on the novel of the same name by author Ramlee Awang Murshid has to date collected more than RM7 million at the box office, and is now being sold internationally at the American Film Market (AFM).
Astro Shaw head Najwa Abu Bakar said Tombiruo which was screened nationwide beginning Oct 12 had been chosen by international film sales agent Alliance Media Partners International Limited (AMP), as the company was impressed with its original story rooted in Borneo legends and saw its potential in reaching out to international audiences.
"If all goes well, Tombiruo will greet US audiences in cinemas next year, and better still, it will also penetrate the European market," she said in a news report yesterday.
Najwa added that AMP was her company's agent in marketing Tombiruo internationally, and Astro Shaw was confident that its adventure story would attract Western filmgoers.
"Tombiruo has strong production values, and great cinematography. It's fully home-grown and that's just what international audiences like today."
Directed by Seth Larney, Tombiruo stars Zul Ariffin, Farid Kamil, Nabila Huda, Faizal Hussein and Hasnul Rahmat.
Zul plays Ejim, a Kadazan-Dusun orphan who protects Sabah's rainforests from unscrupulous developers and possesses superhuman strength.