Greetings, citizens! ROBOGEEK here. And while I have a (perhaps irrational) aversion to Thai food (except for Toi on Sunset - maybe because it isn't really Thai), I am thoroughly fascinated by Thai filmmaking!

In yesterday's edition of our weekly Asia-AICN column, Father Geek passed along word of the amazing new Thai period epic SURIYOTHAI - the most expensive Thai film ever made - which premiered yesterday in Bangkok.

Today, both Variety and the Associated Press ran fascinating stories about the picture and its premiere, offering additional information.

Scott Rosenberg's short piece for Variety reports the film is "the true story of a 16th century Thai queen who rides into battle against the Burmese to defend her husband's kingdom... It was written and directed by [Thai] Prince Chatri Chalerm Yukol."

The article also reports the film was personally financed by Thailand's Queen Sirikit, at a budget of $20 million. Interestingly, the Thai Royal family first got involved in film over a century ago, "when the French Lumiere brothers worked with King Rama V to produce KING OF SIAM'S VISIT TO BERN."

Reportedly New Line and Miramax were both interested in snagging domestic rights after SURIYOTHAI screened at Cannes, "but no deals have been done yet."

Meanwhile, Vijay Joshi's article for the Associated Press goes into even greater depth about the film (though reports the film's budget was only $9 million). It says the film is three-and-a-half hours long, and is screening in 400 theaters in Thailand - which are completely sold out for the next two days. "Thousands of people waited at the doors."

The cast is led by a first-time actress, noblewoman Piyapas Bhirombhakdi, and includes 2,000 extras and over 50 elephants. (Kick-ass!) The film apparently took "about five years to research and two years to shoot." It includes "big-budget sets, costumes, state-of-the-art special effects and exotic locales," and - "For the first time in Thai cinema history... spawned a merchandise business including t-shirts, hats, key rings, books and posters."

Finally, the AP article reports that director Chatrichalerm will fly to the U.S. next week to meet with execs at Miramax, Sony, and New Line to discuss American distribution.

So what does the film look like?

CLICK HERE FOR THE TRAILER TO
"SURIYOTHAI"

Enjoy,

- Robogeek

P.S.: For more information, visit the official SURIYOTHAI website at www.suriyothai.mweb.co.th

P.P.S.: A reader - apalled that I like Toi on Sunset - writes, "For real Thai food made by and for Thai people, go to Yai on Hollywood and Taft, in the 7-11 parking lot."