Ghost in the Cell Hits Tailan with Local-Language Dubbing

Indonesian film industry is once again showing its claws on the international stage. The horror-comedy Ghost in the Cell, produced by Come and See Pictures, officially began its expansion into the Southeast Asian market with a run in Tailan from 7 May 2026. This move forms part of an international distribution strategy to broaden the global audience. Interestingly, for Tailan, the film is presented in a local-language dubbed version. Producer Tia Hasibuan revealed that the use of dubbing is intended to align with local consumption habits. She noted that audiences in Tailan and Cambodia tend to be more comfortable watching foreign films that have been dubbed into their national language. “It just seems that Tailan and Cambodia are used to it. Films are often dubbed into their languages,” said Tia Hasibuan when contacted in Jakarta, on Saturday (16 May). Tia explained that the voice-work is fully entrusted to local distributors in Tailan to ensure quality and dialect suitability. However, this dubbing strategy is not applied uniformly across all target export countries. For neighbouring markets such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, distributors maintain the original Indonesian audio with added subtitles. The difference in approach is based on in-depth research into the characteristics and preferences of viewers in each region. The domestic success of Ghost in the Cell provides a strong footing for the production house. The film reportedly drew 3.2 million cinema-goers during its Indonesian release. The figure gives Come and See Pictures confidence to target distribution to 86 countries gradually by the end of 2026. The expansion is expected to boost not only revenue from film exports but also Indonesia’s cultural penetration in global markets. Through an approach tailored to local audience characteristics, the work of national filmmakers is hoped to be more widely accepted by international audiences.