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'Satria Dewa Gatotkaca' introduces cast, cinematic look

Variety reported on Aug. 28 that the first movie of eight in the cinematic universe was expected to cost up to US$5 million.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, October 3, 2020

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'Satria Dewa Gatotkaca' introduces cast, cinematic look

The much-anticipated superhero movie Satria Dewa Gatotkaca continues to take shape.  

With Hanung Bramantyo (This Earth of Mankind, 2019) helming the project, the movie –which will introduce audiences to the Satria Dewa cinematic universe inspired by the epic war of the gods Bharatayuddha and scribed by Rahabi Mandra – is expected to hit theaters by the end of 2021.

Behind the scenes: Director Hanung Bramantyo works at the shooting locations in Yogyakarta.
Behind the scenes: Director Hanung Bramantyo works at the shooting locations in Yogyakarta. (Satria Dewa Studio/-)

A six-minute video of the attention-getting vignette was released on Aug. 13 to announce the cast aside from Rizky Nazar, who was cast in January as the titular character.

Action actors Yayan Ruhiyan and Cecep Arif Rahman (John Wick 3) joined the cast and will also be responsible for the fight choreography. 

Actors Yasmin Napper, Omar Daniel and 12-year-old b-boy dancer/actor Ali Fikry will fight alongside Gatotkaca as the fellow descendants of the Pandawa brothers.

The cast also includes Edward Akbar, Jerome Kurnia, Axel Matthew and seasoned actress Yati Surachman. The latter will play a gun-toting fighter, a departure from her usual TV roles. 

A new hero: Satria Dewa Gatotkaca is planned for release in 2021.
A new hero: Satria Dewa Gatotkaca is planned for release in 2021. (Satria Dewa Studio/-)

Producer Celerina Judisari from Satria Dewa Studio said the cast announcement had been delayed due to the pandemic.

"We released the pre-teaser since we have started filming. It is also the perfect time to show that the Indonesian film industry is able to get back to its feet quickly after being hit by the pandemic," she said in an online press conference.

"We also wish to pep up the audience and our fellows in the industry," she added.

Hanung Bramantyo said the project made him as excited as working on his first film in the early years of his career in 2004.

"My relationship with Gatotkaca and other characters in the Mahabharata epic began when I was 7. This project is like a dream come true to me.

"I work hard to stress the life values in the epic story, not to satisfy my ego but for the sake of the younger generations," he said.

Hanung, mostly known for his religious drama and glorifying biopics, was originally picked as the director in the film adaption of superhero comic Gundala before the creator, Harya "Hasmi" Suryaminata, died in 2016.

The project was later helmed by Joko Anwar, who released it in 2019 and started the first Indonesian Avengers-style cinematic universe called Bumilangit.

The second pre-teaser gave away a few plot details and a trenchant impression of the tone and characters of the movie. 

It started with animated comic illustrations that contain the backstory of the animosity between the Kurawas and the Pandawa brothers that shepherd into modern times in which the descendants avenge the death of their ancestors.

In the Javanese version of the Indian epic, Gatotkaca was said to have wires as muscles and steel as bones with the ability to fly.

In stark contrast to the first vignette that had a washed out color tone, giving a melodramatic impression as Gatotkaca practices martial arts alone in his room (the clip is merged in the latest video), the teaser introduced the characters under the dramatic spotlight.

The fighting scenes were captured in slow motion but the overall shot made it more artsy than necessary for an action film designated for the big screen unless they were meant for the intro of a TV series.

The filming was reportedly done outdoors and in a studio in Yogyakarta and Jakarta under strict health protocols. 

Variety reported on Aug. 28 that the first movie of eight in the cinematic universe was expected to cost up to US$5 million.

The production house is offering merchandise and collectibles inspired by the movie available at satriadewa.com as part of a plan to expand the universe through animation, e-sports, a theme park and licensing.

 

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