Dead Talents Society

Dead Talents Society is a 2024 Taiwanese horror comedy film directed and written by John Hsu, starring Chen Bolin, Sandrine Pinna and Gingle Wang. Set in a fictional underworld, the film revolves around ghosts who aspire to become the most successful and renowned stars with their scare tactics and performances among the living.

The film had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival on 16 May 2024, and will be theatrically released on 17 August in Taiwan.

Cast

 * Chen Bolin as Makoto
 * Sandrine Pinna as Catherine
 * Gingle Wang as The Rookie
 * Ching-i Pai
 * Soso Tseng

Additionally, Eleven Yao, Huang Di-Yang, Lung Lung, Da-her Lin, Daniel Chan and David Chu have been cast in undisclosed roles. YouTuber Milla is set to have a cameo appearance as a news anchor in the underworld.

Development
Following the commercial success of the 2019 horror film Detention, director John Hsu decided to take a lighter and comedic approach for his new project. Noticing the growing popularity of ghost-themed films in Taiwan, he collaborated with screenwriter Tsai Kun-Lin to develop a never-before-filmed idea in 2020 which later evolved into Dead Talents Society. In February 2021, the duo invested over NT$1 million to shoot a 6.5-minute teaser, which generated significant buzz and online discussions. Originally scheduled to begin filming in late 2021, the duo spent two years refining the screenplay, going through more than twenty versions, which Hsu attributed to the unexpected popularity of the teaser. On 19 January 2022, Sony Pictures International Productions (SPIP) and Taiwanese production company Activator announced their collaboration to co-produce the film. This marked SPIP's first Taiwanese production in twenty years since the 2002 film Double Vision, with SPIP funding over half of the film's budget. SPIP also acquired worldwide distribution and adaptation rights. Due to the extensive number of VFX shots, the film underwent an additional year of post-production after filming. An official trailer was released on 1 April 2024.

Casting
In February 2021, Chen Bolin and Sandrine Pinna appeared in the teaser and confirmed their involvement in the lead roles, and YouTuber Milla was set to make a cameo appearance. In December 2022, Gingle Wang, Ching-i Pai and Soso Tseng were added to the cast. Eleven Yao, Huang Di-Yang, Lung Lung, Da-her Lin, Daniel Chan, and David Chu were later revealed to be part of the ensemble through the official trailer released in April 2024.

Filming
Principal photography was initially scheduled to begin in 2021, but was delayed until December 2022 due to rewrites and the COVID-19 pandemic. The underworld hotel in the film was primarily shot at Champagne Hotel in Jiaoxi, Yilan. The production crew spent a month renovating the ninth floor and constructing a fake elevator set to recreate the 1970s-80s vibes. Filming also took place in Zhongshan District, Keelung, and concluded in January 2023.

Release
The film had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival on 16 May 2024, and will be theatrically released on 17 August in Taiwan.