Disruptive Element Films has secured U.K. Global Screen Fund backing for a four-feature slate to be produced in Thailand, launching with “Nak Muay,” a Muay Thai action drama executive produced by Michelle Yeoh and directed by BAFTA-winning writer-director Tinge Krishnan.
The announcement was made at the Cannes Film Market.
All four productions will shoot in Thailand, backed by the Thai government. Pre-production on “Nak Muay” begins directly after Cannes, with principal photography scheduled for August through September.
“Nak Muay” centers on Yod – played by Natthaphum Kaeowatthanameth, who competes professionally under the name Sua Black – Thailand’s undefeated Muay Thai champion. Behind a public profile of brand endorsements and elite Bangkok social circles, Yod is consumed by guilt over a brutal past match that left his childhood best friend Krit with irreversible brain damage. As Krit now faces death, Yod begins to spiral. BAFTA award-winning Dominic Buchanan produces, with cinematography by Gavin Kelly and Sol Papadopolous serving as special local consultant.
Alongside Yeoh, two-time BAFTA-winning financier and executive producer Colin Pons – who co-leads Disruptive Element Films as joint CEO alongside Krishnan – holds an executive producer credit on the film.
Krishnan, who is also the film’s writer and producer, said: “‘Nak Muay’ is a visceral, action-driven exploration of resilience, redemption, and the true purpose of martial arts, set against the raw energy of Thailand’s Muay Thai culture. As a director with roots in sci-fi, fantasy, and martial arts, I’ve always sought the female characters I yearned for onscreen – powerful, complex, unyielding. This film wrestles with that desire, centring on Yod. His transformative relationship with the strong women around him is interwoven with his journey as a Muay Thai fighter grappling with his craft’s meaning and his own moral compass after a devastating breakdown. For me this film is the chance to make the film I’ve always wanted to make as a woman and a martial arts practitioner.”
Buchanan added: “I have been a longtime admirer of Tinge’s talent, vision and ambition as a filmmaker. It is rare to find a project that truly encapsulates everything that drives me as a producer. I’m so excited to help her and the team realise this project cinematically, and most importantly, to present it to audiences around the world.”
Disruptive Element Films is a U.K./Thailand-based production company developing genre stories across action, martial arts, sci-fi thriller, horror and psychological drama. Krishnan’s previous directing credits include “A Thousand Blows” for Disney+, “Unaccustomed Earth” for Netflix and “WeCrashed” for Apple TV+.
English (US) ·