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Directed by J.C. Lee, Bad Genius is the story of a brilliant student who decided to go down a risky path to provide for her family and bridge the gap that existed between her and the elites. Lynn was an extremely intelligent and responsible girl, and she knew what consequences her actions could entail. But somehow, she overlooked all the risks and embarked on a journey that had the potential to ruin her future. So, let’s find out what happened in the Bad Genius film and if Lynn was able to successfully execute her plan.

Spoiler Alert

Why did Lynn’s scholarship get canceled?

Lynn got admitted to the Exton Pacific school, and she knew that it was a huge thing for her and her family. Studying at such a premier school meant that she could actually make her dreams come true. She knew that if she performed to the best of her abilities,...

Since we live in a time when every single film ever produced should be remade at least once, it’s fair to expect a new reimagining of some intellectual property come out every other few week or so. Some of those, like the recent English-language version of Speak No Evil, manage not only to capitalize on the already existing qualities of the original, but to also expand on them and possibly introduce something novel. Right now, it’s time for a new take on Bad Genius (Chalard games goeng) – a memorable Thai hit from 2017 about a brilliant highschooler who helps her well-off classmates cheat during exams. The 2024 film, shot in English and transferring the setting to Seattle, is penned by J.C. Lee (for whom it’s...

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Lee’s “Bad Genius” presents a familiar storyline in a fresh new way that keeps audiences engaged from the opening scene. At its core, the film follows a gifted student named Lynn helping her wealthy friends cheat on tests, but Lee adds compelling layers that transform this into so much more.

Lynn is no ordinary teenager – she’s a math prodigy struggling to balance the demands of school with supporting her hardworking family. When her friend Grace offers to pay for test answers, Lynn sees an opportunity. But her scheme quickly grows more complex as clients pile up. Editing from Franklin Peterson ensures the audience feels every tense moment as deadlines loom and risks rise.

Beyond the suspense, Lee skillfully incorporates thought-provoking themes. By depicting Lynn’s struggles and those of her classmate Bank from Nigeria, viewers glimpse the unique burdens many immigrant families face. And through Grace’s carefree wealth,...

The upcoming lineup of Marvel movies, particularly the two new Avengers films, promises to be exciting. The main reason for this anticipation is the confirmation that Doctor Doom will be the central villain, portrayed by none other than Robert Downey Jr., who is making his return to the MCU in a new role.

Fans are once again buzzing with excitement, signaling a bright future for the MCU. Additionally, the in-universe implications of this storyline will be fascinating to watch. As the narrative prepares for this shift, characters are gearing up to confront the new threat, as confirmed by the actors involved.

Recently, Benedict Wong, who plays Wong in the MCU, shared his thoughts on his character’s future. Now that Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme, he expressed his desire to face off against Downey’s Doctor Doom, which would indeed make for an intriguing showdown. We couldn’t agree more!

The upcoming slate of Marvel movies, especially the two upcoming Avengers movies, will be thrilling. Why? Well, this is mostly due to the fact that we know that Doctor Doom is going to be the main villain and that he will be played by Robert Downey Jr., who is returning to the MCU, but in a different role.

This has fans excited once again, as the future of the MCU is bright once more, but the in-universe implications will also be interesting to observe. Namely, as the story is getting ready for the shift, the characters are also preparing for the new enemy, as the actors confirm.

Recently, actor Benedict Wong, who plays Wong in the MCU, discussed his character’s future and revealed, now that Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme, that he would like to face off against Downey’s Doctor Doom, which would certainly be an interesting match-up to see,...

Bad Genius is an edge-of-your-seat new thriller that follows Lynn, a brilliant scholarship student, who devises an ingenious cheating scheme to help her friends ace their exams. However, things soon spiral out of control and you won't be able to tear your eyes away from the screen.

The movie stars Callina Liang (Presence), Benedict Wong (Avengers: Endgame), Jabari Banks (Bel-Air), and Taylor Hickson (Motherland: Fort Salem), and is written by Julius Onah (Captain America: Brave New World) and J.C. Lee (The Morning Show). The latter also directs.

We recently got to sit down with Callina and Jabari to learn more about their roles as Lynn and Bank, the dynamic between their characters, what it was like working with Benedict Wong, and why they were so excited to be part of such a unique thriller.

The duo also reveal whether they'd like to take on roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,...

Bad Genius is an edge-of-your-seat new thriller that follows Lynn, a brilliant scholarship student, who devises an ingenious cheating scheme to help her friends ace their exams. However, things soon spiral out of control and you won't be able to tear your eyes away from the screen.

The movie stars Callina Liang (Presence), Benedict Wong (Avengers: Endgame), Jabari Banks (Bel-Air), and Taylor Hickson (Motherland: Fort Salem), and is written by Julius Onah (Captain America: Brave New World) and J.C. Lee (The Morning Show). The latter also directs.

Last week, we sat down with Wong and Lee to discuss this must-see remake of the 2017 Thai hit.

During our conversation, Wong talked in detail about branching out from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, how he approached playing a caring, overbearing father, and what he related to in the character.

Lee, meanwhile, explains how he created tension on screen, why Benedict was a crucial part of telling this story,...

Was Nattawut Poonpiriya‘s “Bad Genius” good? No, it was great. It was so great that almost all of the Asia Pacific from India to Australia loved it. It was so great that Bollywood wanted a version of their own, and made “Farrey” in 2023. But like anything that is great about Asian cinema, Hollywood also wants a piece of it. TV and stage writer, J. C. Lee in his debut as a director, offers his “Bad Genius” where he takes what was basic off the original and filled the rest with anything symptomatically Hollywood, including this basicness.

The basicness here means that this is identifiably “Bad Genius” in its core as a narrative — all the plot points are there, all the stakes, and consequences. It is remarkably shorter: some 30 minutes shorter than both the Thai and Bollywood versions. The whole set up remains the same: highschool poster girl and boy...

Benedict Wong made his MCU debut as Wong in 2016's Doctor Strange, playing a far more realistic version of the character than the one typically seen on the page.

The actor has since appeared in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Stephen Strange's demise in Avengers: Infinity War meant Wong became Sorcerer Supreme, a title he still holds. Heading into Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, that's bound to make the hero a key figure in the fight against Doctor Doom.

Robert Downey Jr. will play the villain who, along with technology, utilises magic while battling Earth's the Multiverse's Mightiest Heroes.

Talking to us about his standout role in Bad Genius, Wong confirmed he's ready and willing to join the fight against Downey's Doom.

"Hey, well,...

J.C. Lee’s Bad Genius looks like a teen comedy on the surface – and it has its comedic moments – but it’s a powerful analysis of the school system and how money buys power and privilege. For some, the consequences for bad behaviour are minimal and don’t alter the trajectory of their lives. For others, […]

Bad Genius Movie Review – A Thrilling High School Heist That Analyzes Power and Privilege Written by Sergio Pereira for Fortress of Solitude...

"No one can do what you do." Vertical has revealed an official trailer for Bad Genius, an English-language 2024 remake of the hit Thai film of the same name from 2017. This new version is set for a US release in October this fall, despite not showing up at any other festivals or elsewhere. The original Bad Genius from Thailand was a huge hit - we raved about it back in 2017 with this glowing review and it set new box office records in Thailand. It's a twisty, complex thriller about exam cheating and the students caught up in this scheme. Genius scholarship student Lynn Kang starts a cheating operation at her elite private school to fund her college dreams, giving her a unique opportunity to challenge the American education system, and her morals, in the process. This version stars Callina Liang (a breakout actress who also stars in Soderbergh's Presence ghost thriller), Jabari Banks,...

Thailand’s biggest movie of 2024, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, will soon attempt a feat few commercial films from the country have tried before: conquering cinemas worldwide.

Produced by the hitmaking Bangkok-based studio Gdh, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies has struck a chord with its irreverent take on the story of a scheming young man who quits his job to care for his dying grandmother in the hopes of inheriting her fortune. The film has earned $34 million from its theatrical runs in Southeast Asia and Australia/New Zealand, becoming the top-grossing Thai film ever in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Myanmar, Australia and New Zealand.

Producers revealed Monday that the film has lined up theatrical distribution in North America (Sept. 13, via Well Go USA), China (Aug. 23, Teamer Media), South Korea (October, Nk Contents), UK and Ireland (December, Vertigo Releasing), the Netherlands (Oct. 10, Vedette Film), Belgium (Nov.

Distributors in major territories including North America, China, the U.K. and South Korea have unveiled plans for theatrical releases of hit Thai comedy film “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies.”

The film is the highest grossing film this year in its native Thailand and has already been released in parts of Southeast Asia. These include Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Myanmar, Australia, and New Zealand, where it has become the highest-grossing Thai film of all time.

Rights to the film have been picked up in China by Teamer Media. The company has set an Aug. 23 official release date, but has already earned $380,000 from two days of previews, according to data from Ent Group.

In North America, it has been picked up by Well Go USA, which is cueing up a Sept. 13 outing. “’How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies’ is an incredibly touching, universal story that transcends cultural and generational differences.

Exclusive: Another 80s music icon is getting the biopic treatment as TriStar has set J.C. Lee to write the screenplay for TriStar Pictures’ Boy George biopic that is currently in development. The pic will be produced by Oscar winning producer Cathy Schulman, George’s manager Paul Kemsley, Jeremy M. Rosen and Kevin King Templeton along with Primary Wave Music. Boy George will executive producer.

Still in early development, the film will include music from Boy George and Culture Club, to which Primary Wave Music owns the rights. Lee will adapt the screenplay from Boy George’s autobiographies, Take It Like A Man, Straight and Karma and focus on the smash success years of Culture Club.

Boy George rose to fame as lead singer of the iconic band, Culture Club, achieving seven UK Top 10 singles, nine U.S. Top 10 singles (including Karma Chameleon and Do You Really Want to Hurt Me...

Exclusive: Vertical has acquired North American rights to Bad Genius, an English-language remake of the same-name Thai thriller, from Picturestart, Picture Perfect Federation, and Little Ray Media. Marking the directorial debut of J.C. Lee, a veteran producer whose credits include The Morning Show and How to Get Away with Murder, the film is slated to hit select theaters in the U.S and Canada on October 11.

Bad Genius is a high-stakes, high-octane thriller about a diverse group of students who team up to fight a system of injustice and inequity and take down the rigged academic institutions around them. Released in 2017, the original Thai version was written and directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya and produced by Thai film studio Gdh 559 Company Limited. In addition to debuting at #1 at the box office in Thailand, the film quickly became the highest-grossing Thai film of the year and the most internationally successful Thai film ever,...

Qatari beIN media group and Dubai-based film distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment have renewed an ongoing first run deal for another three years until 2027.

Under the accord, beIN has secured exclusive pay one window rights to up to 300 movie titles for its linear and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services across the Middle East and North African region.

Titles covered by the deal include Better Man, Priscilla, Anatomy of a Fall, The Night of the Zoopocalypse, La Cocina, Ezra, Mother’s Instinct, Bad Genius, Riddick: Furya; The Smashing Machine, Parthenope, and the upcoming Cliffhanger reboot, on which Front Row is a backer.

“Front Row Filmed Entertainment has been an important partner ever since beIN expanded its portfolio to include entertainment content, so we are very pleased to be continuing this relationship,” said Esra Altop, Chief Entertainment Content Officer at beIN.

“The partnership with Front Row Filmed Entertainment aligns with beIN’s continued strategic...

Nattawut ‘Baz’ Poonpiriya, the director of 2017 pan-Asian hit “Bad Genius,” has joined forces with Thailand’s leading film studio GDH559 to launch new production company Bask.

Gdh, a subsidiary of the Gmm group, is currently riding another wave of regional success with comedy-drama “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” breaking box office records in Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Vietnam and The Philippines. Earlier this week, the company unveiled a powerful production and releasing slate covering the next year.

Co-headed by Gdh producer, Vanridee Pongsittisak, Bask says it will work alongside top U.S.-based producers to offer a fresh perspective on Thai and Asian culture for global audiences.

“My goal is to be the international voice that speaks louder,” said Poonpiriya. “With a louder and authentic voice, it means that I can speak for more people and to more people.”

Pongsittisak said: “Not only will we bring a...

Bad Genius director Baz Poonpiriya and Thailand’s Gdh 559 have partnered to form strategic creative house Bask for global productions, partnering with Justin Lin as executive producer and Anita Gou as producer.

The new venture aims to offer a fresh perspective on Thai and Asian culture for global audiences. “Our mission is to support Asian filmmakers, giving a voice to those who are often overlooked and making sure they are heard and seen both behind and in front of the camera,” Baz told Screen.

On its debut slate are a string of in-development projects with Thai filmmakers attached. The...

Riding high on the box office success of How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, Thai production house Gdh 559 has unveiled details of five upcoming features as part of 10-strong film slate.

Billkin Putthipong Assaratanakul, the breakout star of box office phenomenon How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, will head the cast of comedy Project Red alongside Pp Krit Amnuaydechkorn. It reunites the two actors for the first time since hit Bl (boys’ love) TV series I Told Sunset About You and sequel I Promised You The Moon.

Both stars are also partnering with Gdh through their respective...

Exclusive: New Line’s horror thriller Weapons has rounded out its cast with the addition of Benedict Wong (3 Body Problem), Amy Madigan (Antlers), Austin Abrams (Euphoria), and Cary Christopher (Days of Our Lives).

As previously announced, Josh Brolin, Julia Garner and Alden Ehrenreich will lead the cast.

Pic’s plot and all roles are under wraps. Written and directed by Zach Cregger, it marks his follow-up to Barbarian, the horror film marking his debut solo outing which opened #1 at the box office in 2022 and sits at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Starring Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long, that film grossed ten times its production budget of $4.5 million to ultimately take in more than $45 million worldwide.

Cregger will also produce Weapons alongside his Barbarian producing team, Roy Lee of Vertigo and J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules of BoulderLight Pictures, as well as Vertigo’s Miri Yoon.

Best known for his...

US sales agent WME Independent has picked up international sales to upcoming Thai family drama How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies from Bad Genius producer Gdh 559.

It marks the first collaboration between the two firms and is also the first time major Thai studio Gdh 559 has not handled international sales on one of its own titles.

WME Independent will represent the film internationally, excluding Thailand, which will be handled by Gdh, and will introduce the title to buyers in Berlin during the EFM next week.

The Thai-language feature centres on a young man who quits his job to look after his dying grandmother.

A growing range of Thai, Japanese and Chinese-language films and TV shows are reaching global audiences – joining the by-now well-established international viewership for South Korean shows.

Netflix’s Global Top 10 for the week April 3-9, sees made-for-streaming Korean title “Kill Boksoon” on top of the non-English-language films list, with 27.5 million hours watched in its second week of release.

It is immediately followed by Thai film “Hunger,” about a young woman apprentice in an upmarket restaurant working under a tough boss. The film is directed by Sitisiri Mongkolsiri and stars “Bad Genius” breakout Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying.

Indian mid-air heist thriller “Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga” claims fourth spot in the chart. (India has had a film in the non-English top 10 every week in 2023 so far.)

In the non-English series rankings Korean revenge drama “The Glory” returned to the number one position in its tenth week of release. Its endurance makes it now the...

Picturestart and Picture Perfect Federation have set Jc Lee to direct the English-language remake of Thai hit Bad Genius and also announced key cast members as well as a raft of international presales.

Lee also takes co-writing credits for the English-language screenplay with Julius Onah, who was previously announced as the director. The pair previously collaborated on the Sundance 2019 title Luce, adapted from Lee’s original play of the same name.

Up-and-coming talents Callina Liang, star of Itvx teen drama Tell Me Everything, and Jabari Banks (Bel-Air) will star with veteran UK actor Benedict Wong (Doctor Stranger In The Multiverse Of Madness).

The English remake is billed as a high-stakes, high-octane thriller about a diverse group of young people who team up to fight the system of injustice and inequity and take down the rigged academic institutions around them.

It is produced by Erik Feig and Jessica Switch at Picturestart...