Film is currently in productionwith DaSun Pictures selling world rights at the Marché Du Film at Cannes
Joan Chen (Twin Peaks, The Last Emperor) is set to star in the gripping psychological thriller THE EVIL INSIDE, co-written and directed by Lingo Hseih (Netflix’s Green Door). Jackol Kao is producing for the Taiwan-based DaSun Pictures banner. Production is currently underway with the producers set to introduce the film to buyers at the upcoming Marché du Film at Cannes. The Evil Insidemarks Chen’s first collaboration with a Taiwanese film crew.
Once a showbiz icon in Taiwan, HO JEN-JEN (Joan Chen) –better known as GOLDEN PHOENIX–vanished after reckless gambling left her drowning in debt. She abandoned her young daughter, severing all ties. Years later, she collapses during a police raid and wakes up in a sinister nursing home. Beneath its eerie calm lurks “Death Bet,” a twisted game where terminal patients’ lifespans are gambled away. Desperate to escape and find her daughter, she soon realizes the true horror has yet to unfold, and the most harrowing secret is still waiting to be revealed.
The film is rooted in chilling real-life events that once shocked Taiwan. The film exposes a sinister operation in which the lives—and deaths—of terminally ill patients were used as stakes in an illegal gambling scheme, under the guise of compassion.
Award-winning Asian American actress and director Joan Chen, whose illustrious career spans both Asia and Hollywood, rose to international fame with her role as Empress Wanrong in The Last Emperor. She won theGolden Horse Award for Best Actressfor her performance inRed Rose, White Rose(1995) and The Home Song Stories (2007) and remains the only artist in the award’s history to have received honors for Best Actress, Best ScriptwriterandBest Director. Most recently, Chen was seen in Didi and The Wedding Banquet. She will next be seen in Remarkably Bright Creatures for Netflix and Canadian film Montreal, Ma Belle distributed by Filmoption International.
Director Lingo Hsieh is a Taiwanese filmmaker known for her work in genre cinema. Her short film “The Evil Inside” was selected for the 2015 Cannes Short Film Corner and won Best Picture at Taiwan’s Golden Harvest Awards. Her feature debut, The Bride (2016), established her as a rising star in Taiwanese genre filmmaking. In 2019, she co-wrote and directed the Netflix original series Green Door, released globally in 190 countries.
“This role was written with Joan in mind,” said Lingo. “I’ve long felt she would be perfect for such a flawed yet complex character, the anti-hero of motherhood in this story.” Lingo continued. “I’m truly delighted we’re finally collaborating.”
“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,” said Joan Chen.
“We envision this film as a Mandarin-language production with strong international storytelling appeal,” said Kao. “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.”
The Evil Insideis produced byDaSun Pictures, a company committed to bridging Southeast Asian and North American markets through a strong international network of co-productions and investments. With a focus on elevating Taiwanese content on the global stage, DaSun continues to drive cross-border collaborations and position Taiwan’s creative industry for international growth.
Joan Chen is represented by Anonymous Content and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.