Well Go USA has acquired North American rights to GHOST IN THE CELL, the new supernatural horror from Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar. The deal reunites Anwar with the distributor that previously brought his superhero entry GUNDALA stateside. A US release date has not yet been announced.

The pickup follows the film's world premiere in the Forum section of the 76th Berlin Film Festival in February 2026. GHOST IN THE CELL opens theatrically in Indonesia in Q2 2026; North American plans remain TBA.

Well Go USA Lands North American Rights to Joko Anwar's GHOST IN THE CELL

The film is Anwar's 12th feature, which he both wrote and directed. It's set inside Labuan Angsana, described as one of Indonesia's worst prisons, where inmates are stalked by a supernatural entity that hunts those with the "darkest aura." As the deaths mount, the prisoners are pushed toward collective action to survive.

This is no small co-production. GHOST IN THE CELL is an Indonesia–South Korea collaboration, with producers including Come and See Pictures, Rapi Films, Legacy Pictures, and Barunson E&A — the Korean outfit behind PARASITE. That pairing puts Anwar's prison nightmare in serious international company.

Well Go USA Lands North American Rights to Joko Anwar's GHOST IN THE CELL

Anwar has framed the setting as more than a horror backdrop. "A prison is like a miniature of the society and it mirrors hierarchy, power dynamics in it, also fear, violence, morality all compressed in one confined space with politeness stripped out," Anwar said of the film. Of the takeaway he wants audiences to leave with, he added: "I hope they ask themselves who the system is actually designed to protect."

Why It Matters Now

The acquisition is the latest signal that Indonesian horror has become the scene to watch. Indonesia released close to 100 horror films in 2025, and the genre routinely tops the country's box office. Anwar is its most internationally visible figure — his Satan's Slaves (2017) drew 4.2 million admissions, and the 2022 follow-up, Satan's Slaves 2: Communion, pulled 6.3 million.

With Barunson E&A's Korean muscle attached, a Berlinale launch already banked, and a North American distributor now locked, GHOST IN THE CELL is positioned as a crossover play — and another reason the global horror market is pointing its attention toward Indonesia.