Three years after making her screen debut, in a soap opera in 2010, Davika "Mai" Hoorne was known to Thai audiences as nang ake pun larn -- the billion-baht leading lady -- from the mega-success of her 2013 film Pee Mak Phra Khanong. Since then, she has become a fixture on the screen, with period melodrama Plae Kao (The Scar) in 2014, a modest hit, and the oddball Freelance Harm Puay Harm Pak Harm Rak Mor (Heart Attack) last year, which raked in over 90 million baht at the box office.
A bankable presence, Davika now returns with Yee Sib Mai U-turn Wai Hua Jai Return (Suddenly Twenty) opening at cinemas nationwide tomorrow. She's booked tight with endless engagements to promote the film, and yet the Thai-Belgian actress met up with us at her Misstar Cafe last week. Davika, 24, walked in looking all princess-like in her all-white dress, sporting a hairstyle she said was inspired by Audrey Hepburn -- the same style she kept for her latest screen feature.
In Suddenly Twenty, Davika plays Parn, a 74-year-old grandma who turns back into her 20-year-old self after getting her photo taken at a mysterious studio. Sound familiar? It should. Suddenly Twenty is a remake of the 2014 South Korean hit Susanghan Geunyeo (Miss Granny). In a new business model, CJ E&M, the South Korean entertainment giant that distributed Miss Granny, has partnered with various companies throughout Asia to create a localised version of Miss Granny.
In Thailand, CJ E&M has joined forces with Major Cineplex Group to form film-production company CJ Major Entertainment. Suddenly Twenty is their first theatrical feature. In China, the localised version is known as 20 Once Again. It was Sweet 20 in Vietnam, Sing My Life in Japan, and there's even an Indonesian version currently in the making. Despite having different versions of the same story out in such a short period of time, this concoction of family drama, comedy, musical and light romance is a formula that often works. The story of a moody granny turning 20 again is a box-office hit wherever it goes. The Chinese version grossed over US$59 million (2.1 billion baht) in its home country, while the Vietnamese version brought in US$4.76 million, making it the highest-grossing local film at the Vietnamese box office.
Will people ever get tired of remakes, with same old stories being repeated over and over?
Davika doesn't seem to think so. The actress has previously played the ghost Mae Nak in Pee Mak Phra Khanong, Riam in Plae Kao -- both stories have been adapted to screen a dozen times -- and will soon undertake the role of Praenuan in Channel 3's remake of Buang Bunjathorn, a period drama that became a television hit in 2002. Suffice to say, Davika is no stranger to playing characters made iconic by actresses before her. "The script and its framework changed," said Davika. "[In remakes], we try to make it similar to the old one, but not exactly alike. And the way we interpret the characters is always different."
Each remake comes with the opportunity to modernise a beloved tale and characters, while repackaging plots that audiences are already familiar with. It's also a ready-made business opportunity, and the various versions serve as both a cultural and an investment case study.
To make a remake work is to make it relatable to new audiences, Davika said. Sometimes, that means making small adjustments to the source material to better suit a new audience.
"For Miss Granny, each country has different ideas and takes on what is funny," she said. "And the joke, as well as location, culture and tradition, are adapted to suit Thai audiences in the Thai version. In the end, this version has to be our own. Thais have to watch it and find it likeable and relatable.
"The producers came to the conclusion that Thais aren't into works that are overtly funny, or that have only a comedic side. They believe Thais like family dramas, and they insert that into the film as well," Davika added. "It depends on each country, really. Some versions are sadder, while some are funnier than others. The ratio works differently."
Davika said that she finds her role as the young Grandma Parn very challenging. For one thing, this marks her first fully comedic role.
"People have never really tried to get me to play comedic roles. I usually get a lot of serious dramas -- roles that require me to keep my cool," she said. "Well, with this film, I pretty much shatter the image people have of me."
She continued: "I don't want people to feel as though they're watching Mai Davika. I want them to be convinced that they're watching Grandma Parn. I want audiences to look past who I am."
In preparation for her role, the actress took singing lessons, as well as undergoing workshops on how to portray an old lady who walks hunchbacked and limping.
"I even have to pretend to have poor eyesight!" she exclaimed.
"Like, you have to do this." At this, Davika squinted and pretended to read something she held with an outstretched arm. "You're like a camera with a slow auto-zoom."
The actress also received a copy of Miss Granny and the Chinese remake to grasp what's been done so far with the story. She said quite sheepishly that she didn't get a chance to finish them. She doesn't feel pressured -- not by the franchise's previous success, and not by her billion-baht fame. She only wanted to make her audiences happy through her work.
"As an actress, I want people to smile when they hear my name, and that they be reminded of what I've done. I don't want them to watch my work and go, 'Oh, this is crap. They're not even serious in making it'. Instead, I want them to be like, 'Wow, she really gives it her all', and that they find the movie worthy of every baht they spend."
Having reached stardom at such a young age, Davika said she's very proud to be where she is. First, she loves that she can take good care of her parents with the money she earns. And second, she's satisfied that she's made an occupation of her dream and passion.
"I may have my business on the side. But, really, I can't see myself doing anything other than being an actress in films and lakorn," said Davika.
"So, I'm going to try and improve myself even more. When I get old, I'll play mums and grandmas. I'll keep on working."
Suddenly Twenty, directed by Araya Suriharn, starring Davika Hoorne, Saharat Sangkapricha and Kritsanapoom Pibunsonggram, opens in cinemas tomorrow.
