One story, two formats: Astro Shaw makes KUDRAT 1968 fans earn the ending

Most film releases ask audiences for their commitment through a ticket. Astro tried something different and asked for audiences to view it as four episodes first. 

With KUDRAT 1968: High Council, the studio told one story across a series on Astro, sooka and Netflix. Then, it sent fans to cinemas to catch the ending on a big screen. 

Astro says the series became number one across all three platforms and generated more than 1 billion social media views.

In its first four days of official theatrical release, KUDRAT 1968: High Council collected RM12 million at the box office from advance screenings. Meanwhile, RM3 million came before it even opened, a first for a local film. 

“Anything uncharted and untested comes with uncertainty,” Raja Jastina Arshad, head of Astro Shaw and vice president of Malay Nusantara Business at Astro, told A+M. “However, being a first mover also means having the willingness to venture beyond established norms and explore new possibilities.”

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A cinematic universe that brands that leverage

The Astro Shaw Cinematic Universe (ASCU), which connects High Council, Polis Evo and Keluang Man, was set up to turn fandom into a long-term asset for partners, Jastina said. 

Brands such as WONDA is ASCU’s long-term strategic partner, with a collaboration that spans multiple titles. Other partners include Fung Keong, Abstrax and Royal Selangor for Keluang Man, and Grab and Tune Talk for Kahar: Kapla High Council.

With KUDRAT 1968, Astro Shaw went further.

It developed a limited-edition collection from Christy Ng, featured in the film, sold out online within 24 hours. It also worked with myBurgerLab to launch a special-edition Burger Ayam Madu Pedas, and Grab helped extend the franchise into everyday consumer experiences. 

“Ultimately, we want brand partnerships to feel like a natural extension of the storytelling, rather than an advertisement attached to it,” Jastina said, adding:

Our experience with High Council, Kahar and KUDRAT has reinforced the value of building IPs over time. Rather than looking at each production as a standalone title, we want to develop stories and characters that can grow into enduring franchises, build fandom and create opportunities for brand partners.

Building the fandom

While the strategy seems to have worked out for Astro Shaw, it was a risk that the team took as the extra commitment of a show could have been a barrier to cinema attendance. 

However, Astro Shaw went ahead because it had weighed the challenges against the upside, Jastina said, and because its record of building entertainment franchises helped bring the team and stakeholders on board. 

The bet rested on the High Council franchise’s brand equity and its relationship with the audience, which she said would keep fans invested from series to cinema.

“Our past experience and success in developing entertainment franchises gave us a strong foundation to venture into new territory,” Jastina said. “This track record also helped bring the team and stakeholders on board.”

The fandom wasn’t built overnight. Jastina said the fandom took several years and three titles to develop. Projek: High Council in 2023, Kahar: Kapla High Council in 2024 and KUDRAT 1968: High Council this year, each with different teams and directors. 

“We didn’t manufacture a fandom through campaigns. We built a story and characters that people genuinely cared about,” she said.

KUDRAT 1968 was where Astro moved to activate it. It opened the Malam Manifesto premiere to the public and held a 12-hour “Mega fans screening”, where the first 12 cinema halls sold out in five minutes and the screening grew to 30 sold-out halls. 

A pop-up called “House of KUDRAT” drew more than 9,000 visitors. Astro Shaw also worked with homegrown brands so fans could connect with the franchise through fashion and food. “The key was giving fans more than just content to watch,” she said.

Replicating the thinking, not the formula

Jastina added that KUDRAT 1968 has shown that Astro can challenge conventional release models, but that the approach depends on the strength of the franchise, a fandom built over several years and a story developed to unfold across two formats. 

“It is not a one-size-fits-all model, nor should we force every title into the same approach,” she said.

Astro is open to applying the “One story, two formats” approach to future titles, including those outside ASCU, as long as each project is judged on creative potential, audience appeal and whether the format serves the story. 

Jastina said, “The bigger takeaway is that we are not just looking to replicate a release strategy. We are looking to evolve how we build, grow and commercialise Malaysian IPs. KUDRAT 1968 has given us the confidence to push those boundaries further.”

Astro's approach reflects a wider push to turn entertainment content into scalable properties that extend beyond the screen. In July, A+M reported on Astro Shaw's multi-platform marketing push for TERBANG, which brought together brand collaborations, experiential activations, merchandise and a nationwide roadshow.

These efforts point to Astro's growing focus on building content ecosystems that give audiences more ways to engage with its IPs, while creating additional commercial opportunities for brand partners.

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