22 Feb – "Rajah", the film project that has been in production since 2019 was recently revealed to have been retitled "Edge of the World". Its producer Rob Allyn recently stated that the decision to change the title was so that the movie will appeal more broadly to audiences - now that Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired the US rights to the film. "As a leading Hollywood distributor of prestige pictures, Samuel Goldwyn Films wanted a more epic, sweeping and global title that will appeal more broadly to American audiences that might be unfamiliar with the term 'Rajah'. With the new title, we want to invite them to explore the exotic world of 1840s Sarawak," he said.
Allyn, who also penned the movie, revealed that he was captivated by the White Rajah James Brooke's adventure after reading Joseph Conrad's novel, "Lord Jim". "In 1839, Britain ruled half of the earth. James Brooke sailed to Sarawak to escape the reach of the British Empire. He found paradise at what the British considered the 'edge of the world' but to Brooke, Sarawak was the first place on earth he truly felt at home," he said. As for its Southeast Asia distribution, the producer stated that they are now in talks for a release after the June 2021 launch in North America, although it would depend on the pandemic situation. Allyn originally targeted for a Cannes Film Festival debut for the said movie, until COVID-19 derailed his plan. The movie stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Brooke, Dominic Monaghan as Colonel Arthur Crookshank, and Hong Kong actress Josie Ho as Brooke's former lover Madame Lim. It also stars Malaysian actors Bront Palarae and Shaheizy Sam as Pangiran Indera Mahkota and Subu.