Joan Chen (“Twin Peaks,” “The Last Emperor”) has signed on to headline the psychological thriller “The Evil Inside,” with Taiwan’s DaSun Pictures handling worldwide sales at the Cannes market.
The project, currently in production, pairs Chen with director Lingo Hsieh, the rising filmmaker behind Netflix’s “Green Door.” The film marks Chen’s first collaboration with a Taiwanese production team.
Chen stars as Ho Jen-Jen, once Taiwan’s beloved showbiz icon “Golden Phoenix,” who disappeared after gambling debts overwhelmed her, leading her to abandon her young daughter. Years later, she awakens in a sinister nursing home, discovering a macabre betting ring where gamblers wager on terminal patients’ remaining lifespans. As she fights to escape and reunite with her daughter, even darker secrets await revelation.
The thriller draws inspiration from actual events that once shocked Taiwan — an illegal gambling operation that used terminally ill patients’ lives and deaths as betting stakes while masquerading as compassionate care.
“This role was written with Joan in mind,” Hsieh said. “I’ve long felt she would be perfect for such a flawed yet complex character, the anti-hero of motherhood in this story. I’m truly delighted we’re finally collaborating.”
Chen, whose storied career spans both Hollywood and Asian cinema, added: “I look forward to embracing and defending this deeply scarred and morally complex woman — an incorrigible gambler — infusing her dark, tormented soul with light and warmth, and granting her the ultimate triumph: salvation through defeat.”
The award-winning actor remains the only artist in Golden Horse Awards history to have collected trophies for best actress, best scriptwriter and best director. Her recent work includes “Dídi” and “The Wedding Banquet,” with upcoming appearances in Netflix’s “Remarkably Bright Creatures” and the Canadian film “Montreal, Ma Belle.”
Jackol Kao, producing for DaSun Pictures, envisions the project as a Mandarin-language film with international appeal. “With Lingo Hsieh’s distinctive direction and Joan Chen’s remarkable performance, we believe the film will captivate global audiences and showcase the unique voice of Asian genre cinema,” Kao said.
Hsieh previously directed the feature “The Bride” (2016) after her film “The Evil Inside” won best picture at Taiwan’s Golden Harvest Awards.
Chen is represented by Anonymous Content and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.
