27 May – Good news, Keluang Man fans! It looks like the legendary Malaysian superhero animation series will soon be revived and brought to the silver screen. Earlier this week, Astro Shaw announced that it has recently joined forces with Keluang Man intellectual property (IP) owner Iconic Animation Studio to produce the first ever Keluang Man live-action film. This collaboration marks the beginning of an exciting journey for Astro Shaw and Iconic Animation Studio in reintroducing the classic animation IP to the new generation and building the biggest local superhero universe. Said Raja Jastina Raja Arshad, Head of Astro Shaw, "We are very honoured to be entrusted with this opportunity to work with Iconic Animation Studio to bring this legendary animation to a bigger platform, that is the silver screen. We trust that the Keluang Man brand is highly esteemed in the local animation scene and has its own loyal following, many of which who grew up with the animation series."
"The Keluang Man brand has been in the local animation scene for 26 years, and it is still remembered and talked about by many fans today," said Iconic Animation's Muhamad Firdaus Omar. "We believe that many fans are anticipating the return of Keluang Man. In fact, the plan to adapt this animation into a film has long been in the works. Alhamdulillah, we've finally achieved the aspiration to realise this, and we are very honoured and excited to make it happen with Malaysia's leading producer, Astro Shaw." Keluang Man, a popular series beloved by many Malaysians in the late 90s and early 2000s, was the first local superhero animation series created by the late Haji Kamarudin Bin Ismail, also known as Kamn Ismail alongside his founding partner Natashah Datuk Hj Md Noor and started airing in 1998. The series went on for seven seasons with over 140 episodes features a unique storyline that centres on a Malaysian comedy superhero - Borhan, also known as Keluang Man, a patient at a mental hospital in Tumpoi who turns into a crime-fighting superhero at night, aided by his sidekick Tiong Man. Development for the Keluang Man movie is currently ongoing, and the producers will announce the estimated release date at a later time.