Joko Anwar Gives Code There Will Be 3 Demon Servants

Joko Anwar (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Director Joko Anwar has hinted that he will make Pengabdi Setan 3 with the record that the second film which will be released on August 4th can build curiosity from the audience.

“Will there be Demon Servant 3? We will see whether the audience will love the characters in Pengabdi Setan 2, and we will know the answer in a short time," Joko said after the press screening in Jakarta, Tuesday, August 2.

He gave an example of how Servant of Satan 2: Communion was made, starting from the screenplay of the first film, which left many questions hanging.

When finally Pengabdi Setan was released in 2017, various parties also questioned whether the film would be continued with a sequel, but Joko reiterated that he would continue the film if he received a good response from the audience.

"We will make a sequel with a note that the film must be successful first. What does success mean? Is it a commercial success? Not. Commercial success never indicates that the film is a success. Success means that the film must be sustainable, the audience wants to know what's next," he said.

For Joko, the measure of the success of a film he makes is not seen from the achievement of numbers such as the number of viewers. Joko admitted that he was not burdened with the target audience, considering that Pengabdi Setan 1 managed to penetrate more than 4 million viewers. Even the first film also managed to get 13 nominations at the 2017 Indonesian Film Festival and won seven of them.

“Our burden is never in numbers. As for me, I've never made a film (about) numbers," he said.

Instead, the burden for Joko is whether as a director he can provide more experience for the cast, crew, and viewers who have spent their time trying to achieve a good show.

"Hopefully I don't waste their time (cast and crew). Likewise with the audience, I ask them to go to the cinema and pay for tickets, whether they spend their time (to watch) in vain or not. That, after all, the burden, "said Joko.

If Pengabdi Setan 3 is made, Joko said that all aspects of the film's production will also be improved, such as story, storytelling, aesthetic, technical, and so on. Previously, Joko had revealed that “Servant of Satan 2” was also made to a higher standard than the previous film.

"When we made the film Pengabdi Setan 2, we agreed, because we have agreed that Pengabdi Setan 1 is the lowest standard, we inevitably have to make Servant Satan 2 a level higher in terms of storytelling, aesthetics, technicality, and so on," said Joko.

According to Joko, he, together with the cinematographer and producer, prepared the production of Pengabdi Setan 2 in such a way that it took him approximately three years to study beforehand in order to produce a good cinematic experience.

“Because we know the difficulty level is difficult, from camera setup to lighting setup, as well as the directing. And that's from the point of view of directing, you also have to learn, you shouldn't waste your directing and all kinds of acting. So it's learning, three years of learning," said Joko Anwar.