This interview has been edited for clarity.
It takes a certain level of ambition to make a science fiction (sci-fi) film as the world building and special effects needed to show time travel, alternate dimensions, and epic battles against colossal monsters also have to match the epic imaginations of sci-fi fans around the world.
Now imagine a sci-fi film that combines all of the above and more into one foreign language film? That’s the world building elements that genre newcomer and Thai horror veteran Chookiat Sakveerakul’s (13 Beloved, Love of Siam) has to manage in his first sci-fi feature film, Taklee Genesis x Worlds Collide, with a dash of family drama thrown in for good measure. The big budget Thai film is one of the few Asian movies that has found global distribution in Warner Bros. Discovery and after a trailer that ignited excitement, as well as a little confusion, with audiences, the cast, comprising Paula Taylor (True Love Next Door), Nina Nutthacha Padovan (Death Whisperer), Peter Corp Dyrendal (Only You I Need), War Wanarat (Love Mechanics, En of Love), and Nara Thepnupa (The Debut), is ready to bring an Asian sci-fi story to a global audience.
At its core, Taklee Genesis x Worlds Collide tells the story of Stella (Taylor), a single mother who receives a cryptic message from her long-lost father, stranded in a different time. Determined to reunite her family, Stella embarks on a daring mission to activate the Taklee Genesis, a device that could bridge the gap between past and future. But as she navigates the complexities of time travel and alternate realities, she and her daughter Valen (Padovan) encounter unexpected challenges and discover secrets that could shatter their world.
Taylor, a beloved Thai actress known for her roles in romantic comedies, makes a triumphant return to the big screen after a decade-long hiatus. In Taklee Genesis x Worlds Collide, she takes on the role of a single mother driven by love for her daughter and a desire to unravel the mysteries of her past.
A mother herself, Taylor found a deep connection to Stella’s unwavering maternal love. “Being a mother, it’s always just about the little things, about the drive, the love,” she shared in an exclusive cast interview with Geek Culture in Thailand.
This connection extended to her on-screen daughter, played by the talented young actress Padovan. “I literally adopted [Nina] as my own,” Taylor revealed, adding with a smile, “Whenever we would post anything together, people would always think she was mine.”
For young Padovan, who has already made a name for herself in the horror genre with Thai films like Death Whisperer (2023), Taklee Genesis x Worlds Collide offered a new and exciting experience as her first foray into the world of science fiction. “This is my first sci-fi movie,” she exclaimed. Initially confused by the script’s intricate plot, she was won over by director Sakveerakul’s passion and enthusiasm. “When I was reading the script, I wasn’t really sure what it was about,” she admitted. “But when the director was talking about it…we were like, ‘Oh, okay. Let’s do the movie.’”
Humorously, she wasn’t alone in the confusion. Her on-screen mom Taylor also described her initial reaction to the sci-fi-laden script as “a bit confusing,” but she was ultimately drawn to the project by Sakveerakul’s vision. “His passion… just everything lit up when he talked about [the movie]. It was like a world inside his head,” she recalled. “It was amazing. And I was just like, ‘You know what I want? Whatever’s going on in there. I want to be a part of it.’”
As for Dyrendal, a renowned Thai rock star and actor who plays Stella’s childhood friend and school teacher Ith, the film’s sci-fi elements were a natural draw. “I’ve always liked science fiction movies, and I also have a major in chemistry. So by nature, I have a good sense of what’s going on. More often than not, on set, people come running over to me to ask about what’s happening,” he explained, finding himself acting as an on-set science consultant, fielding questions from his fellow cast members about the complex concepts of time travel and alternate dimensions.
Taylor echoed this sentiment with a laugh, “Peter would get his Geek hat on. I’m like, Okay, well, just stay close. Which way do I look? It was really hard sometimes.”
Wanarat, another popular Thai actor who made a name for himself in the Boys’ Love (BL) genre and plays the village community leader’s son Kong, shares Dyrendal’s enthusiasm for sci-fi. “I have a natural love for science fiction, which made it a lot of fun for me to be a part of this movie. Seeing the sets really made me enjoy it a lot because of my love for science.”
Padovan and other cast members were equally intrigued by the use of green screen technology, a stark departure from the practical effects encountered in more grounded projects like Padovan’s previous Thai horror film, Death Whisperer.
“Everything is green,” Padovan noted, reflecting on the challenge and novelty of acting in an environment where much is left to the imagination. Thepnupa, further expanding on this point, shared her strategy for performing in such a surreal setup. “I use my instinct to play or to see something that we didn’t see. It’s like imagination, because we don’t see it,” she explained, highlighting the imaginative demands placed on actors in such technically complex productions.
Perhaps those same green screens could become the battleground for a face-off against a classic sci-fi monster in a potential sequel, an idea the cast playfully entertained.
Channeling his inner sci-fi hero, Dyrendal declared that he would use the film’s ‘warp ball’ technology to confront and defeat a kaiju in an epic showdown. “There are so many options, but I think I’d probably go fight the kaiju, using the ‘warp ball’ to cut it in half when it gets close to me – just like in the movie,” he said, tapping into the film’s ‘warp ball’ that could teleport people into various dimensions in time.
Taylor, with a mischievous glint in her eye, hinted that these imaginative scenarios might not be confined to mere speculation. “I’m gonna put that into the next script,” she quipped, leaving fans to eagerly anticipate what fantastical adventures and epic showdowns the future might hold. If the first film is any indication, audiences can expect a thrilling cinematic adventure that pushes the boundaries of Thai science fiction and leaves audiences hungry for more.
Taklee Genesis x Worlds Collide is in cinemas now.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, games, and comics — you name it. When she’s not reading or geeking out about the latest shows on Netflix, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of meeting her idols.
