Alejandro Hidalgo is returning to supernatural horror with “The Hungry One,” a Malaysia-set feature built around the rituals, mythology and ominous possibilities of the Hungry Ghost Festival.

The director of “The Exorcism of God” is attached to make the film, which is currently in pre-production. Its producers are still working to secure the final portion of the financing.

Despite that remaining step, the project is already moving into the international marketplace. Kuala Lumpur-based Abnormal Studios is handling worldwide sales and introducing “The Hungry One” at the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents & Film Market. Singapore-based Clover Films has acquired rights for Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

A family visit turns supernatural

“The Hungry One” centers on Emily, an American woman who travels with her Chinese Malaysian husband, Simon, and their son, Louis, to spend the summer at Simon’s family mansion.

The visit takes place during the 15-day Hungry Ghost Festival, a period when the underworld is believed to open and allow the dead to move among the living. Emily soon finds herself facing increasingly dangerous encounters with a vengeful presence attempting to cross over.

To protect her family, she must uncover the concealed history of the house before the supernatural force can claim them.

Filmmaker and entrepreneur Justin Leong is driving the project through Los Angeles-based Lightning Pictures. Leong, who has deep connections to Malaysian-Chinese culture, drew on traditions from his own family while shaping the story.

“Growing up in Asia, I always felt the Hungry Ghost Festival was incredibly rich visually, from the fire and offerings to the rituals and mythology behind it,” Leong said. “When you capture that and shoot it cinematically, it’s movie gold. It gives us a world that audiences may not have seen before, but one that feels immediately atmospheric, mysterious and made for horror.”

Hidalgo brings an international horror track record

Hidalgo’s first feature, “The House at the End of Time,” remains Venezuela’s biggest horror box-office hit. The film received strong festival notices and later developed a cult audience through its combination of supernatural and science-fiction elements.

His 2021 follow-up, “The Exorcism of God,” premiered at Fantastic Fest and was sold into more than 150 countries. Saban Films handled the movie’s U.S. theatrical release, and the title finished 2022 as the highest-grossing Latin American film worldwide.

The creative team on “The Hungry One” also includes producer Harrison Allen, who won the live action short Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards for the Netflix title “The Singers.” Allen’s latest feature, “Anima,” screened at SXSW this year.

Thomas Percy Kim is attached as well. A Sundance and Toronto fellow, Kim made his feature debut with “Isle Child,” which was based on his own short acquired by HBO Max. The feature premiered in Toronto.

Screenwriter Justin Parker previously worked on the development of HBO’s Emmy-nominated limited series “Station Eleven” and was a writer on the docuseries “Religion of Sports.”

Abnormal Studios takes the project to market

Worldwide sales representative Abnormal Studios is a subsidiary of Westec Media Limited. The company has acquired and released films since 2020 and has handled more than 400 titles.

It currently brings approximately 100 films each year to Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Mongolia and Nepal. Its recent releases include “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” and “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In.”

ShowBiz Take

“The Hungry One” arrives with two significant elements already in place: a director whose previous horror film reached more than 150 countries and a story rooted in specific Malaysian-Chinese traditions. Leong’s personal connection to those traditions gives the project a defined cultural foundation, while Hidalgo’s record supplies clear evidence of international audience interest in his supernatural work.

The early acquisition by Clover Films is also meaningful. Although the production is still completing its financing, rights have already been secured across Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, and Abnormal Studios is presenting the film to the wider global market.

What Happens Next?

The immediate priorities are the Asian Contents & Film Market launch and the effort to close the remaining financing. “The Hungry One” remains in pre-production, with no further production or release details confirmed in the supplied material.