Barunson Boards Indonesian Zombie Feature Zona Merah: Dead City

A deadly outbreak spreads as Zona Merah: Dead City expands its horror world.

‘Parasite’ Backer Barunson Boards Indonesian Zombie Feature Zona Merah: Dead City Ahead of Cannes

A major international collaboration is taking shape as Barunson E&A—the banner behind Parasite—has boarded Zona Merah: Dead City, a feature adaptation of the hit Indonesian horror series Zona Merah.

The Seoul-based company will handle international sales on the project, which is produced by Screenplay Films. The film is set to launch at the Marché du Film this May, signaling Barunson’s continued investment in Southeast Asian genre filmmaking.

Based on the widely successful Zona Merah series—originally released on Vidio—the story takes place in a quarantined region overrun by a fast-spreading zombie outbreak. The original show followed a young woman searching for her missing brother before authorities sealed off the area as a “red zone,” becoming one of the platform’s biggest hits with over 34 million views.

The feature adaptation expands the scale of that narrative, introducing a new city collapse and another outbreak zone, pushing the story beyond its initial setting while retaining its core survival-driven tension.

Directing duties are shared by Sidharta Tata and Fajar Martha Santosa, who both worked on the original series. Tata also returns as screenwriter, with Santosa contributing to story development.

Several original cast members will reprise their roles, including Aghniny Haque, Andri Mashadi, Maria Theodore, Devano, and Lukman Sardi. They’ll be joined by new additions such as Luna Maya, Bryan Domani, Shindy Huang, Myesha Lin, and Derby Romero.

Principal photography began April 7 and is continuing through May, aligning with the project’s market debut timeline.

With Barunson’s involvement and the growing global appetite for international horror, Zona Merah: Dead City positions itself as a key title to watch coming out of the Southeast Asian genre space—one that builds on an established audience while aiming for broader international reach.