Study: Horror Links Taiwan and Indonesia

A new industry study recommends that Taiwanese film producers focus on horror titles to establish a presence in Indonesia. Trang Nguyen presented the findings from K7 Media at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest in Taipei. The report identifies horror as the primary area where production interests between the two nations overlap naturally. This strategic advice comes as Indonesian audiences show a strong preference for local content, particularly in the thriller and scare categories.

Indonesia represents the largest film market in Southeast Asia. The country’s box office revenue reached $352.9 million in 2025. That figure is 1.6 times the size of Vietnam’s market and five times the size of Thailand’s. The market has grown at a compound annual rate of 5.1%, which exceeds the Asia-Pacific average of 4.3%. Local productions dominate the screening schedule. Indonesian films accounted for 43% of all 2025 releases but captured 64% of total admissions, selling 82.6 million tickets.

The dominance of local content is evident in the highest-grossing titles. Three local films have crossed the 10 million ticket threshold in recent years. These include the comedy "Agak Laen: Menyala Pantiku!" and the animated adventure "Jumbo." The 2022 horror film "KKN di Desa Penari" also reached that milestone. Horror remains the most produced genre for Indonesian cinemas. Five of the ten most attended Indonesian films since 2011 are horror pictures. Many of these projects adapt existing intellectual property or blend scares with comedy and drama elements.

Remakes provide a secondary route for market entry. The Indonesian version of the Korean film "Miracle in Cell No. 7" sold approximately 5.8 million tickets in 2022. That success led to a new sequel and an animated spinoff. A local adaptation of the Thai horror-comedy "Pee Mak" drew 4.9 million viewers in 2024. Adaptations are not limited to screen-to-screen transfers. A big-screen version of the 2016 Korean series "Descendants of the Sun" is currently in production for a 2027 release.

The television landscape is controlled by five major commercial groups. MNC Group operates RCTI, MNCTV, and GTV, along with the streamer Vidio. Emtek/SCM runs SCTV, Indosiar, and Mentari TV. Trans Media, Viva, and MD Entertainment complete the top tier. The local soap opera format, known as sinetron, remains the foundation of series television. These shows air daily or several nights a week and often run for hundreds of episodes. Recent launches include RCTI's "Terikat Janji" in April 2026 and Indosiar's "Merangkai Kisah Indah" in July 2025.

Streaming platforms are reshaping content consumption. Vidio, which launched in 2014, holds the largest cumulative reach in the country as of 2026. The platform has partnered with Wattpad to adapt web novels into series. Netflix, which arrived in 2016, became the leading international streamer after its initial block by state telecom Telkom was lifted in 2020. Disney+ rebranded in October 2025 and signed a joint package deal with Vidio in October 2026. Microdramas are also gaining traction, with RCTI adding them to its broadcast schedule in January 2026.

The K7 Media study suggests that horror is the most accessible entry point for Taiwanese creators. The report also identifies foreign-drama specialist channels and IP adaptations as additional targets. It advises companies to increase promotional activity to build brand recognition. The next major networking opportunity is the JAFF Market, scheduled for November 28 to 30 at the Jogja Expo Center in Yogyakarta.