In a cinematic landscape saturated with remakes, reboots and sequels, you might wonder: what makes The Red Envelope any different?

For starters, it embraces its peculiarity: a ghost marriage, an accidental bridegroom and a love story that transcends both gender and, well, death.

Arriving in early 2025, The Red Envelope starring Billkin and PP Krit is poised to be the romantic comedy event of the year. This Thai adaptation of the Taiwanese box office hit Marry My Dead Body, directed by Cheng Wei-hao, blends humour, the supernatural and LGBTQ+ themes, offering a bold spin on love that breaks all the rules.

The highly anticipated release reunites the  well-loved duo Billkin (Putthipong Assaratanakul) and PP Krit (Krit Amnuaydechkorn). Fans of I Told Sunset About You and Our Last Twilight know that when these two come together, the world stops to watch—and with their fanbase as loyal as ever, expect plenty of buzz across social media. So yes, The Red Envelope is a love story, but in true Billkin and PP style, it’s one that mixes vulnerability, complexity and heartfelt laughs.

The plot draws from a culturally rich, though unconventional, tradition. In the original, a strait-laced policeman, Wu Ming-han, stumbles upon a red envelope, a symbol of good fortune in Chinese culture—except this one contains a ghost marriage proposal intended for deceased gay men. Wu unexpectedly becomes the bride of Mao Mao, a deceased man, and what follows is more than comedic fluff. The film cleverly tackles societal prejudices, especially surrounding LGBTQ+ issues, through a supernatural lens.

As Mao Mao’s ghost insists that Wu fulfil the marriage, the story unfolds with humour and heart, exploring themes of acceptance and breaking down unjust societal norms. While details on how The Red Envelope will adapt this for Thai culture remain under wraps, the ghost marriage concept, rooted in Chinese tradition, finds a fitting space in Thai customs.

Marry My Dead Body (2022)

A collaborative effort between Thailand’s GDH and Taiwanese cinema, this production boasts industry powerhouses like producer Banjong Pisanthanakun (Pee Mak) and director Chayanop Boonprakob (Friend Zone), sparking significant excitement in the Thai film scene. Their partnership promises a unique blend of humour, romance and the supernatural, customised for Thai audiences.

Much Like Pee Mak—a ghostly love story wrapped in humour and societal critique, where a spirit mother who dies during childbirth still loves her soldier husband—The Red Envelope tackles love beyond death. But here, it shifts the lens towards love beyond the traditional gender binary, echoing the rising discourse on same-sex marriage in Thailand. It’s a bold celebration of love that defies the limits society imposes, daring to explore where hearts freely connect, even across boundaries we can’t easily see.

With its outlandish yet brilliant premise, The Red Envelope could be the love story for our times. Sure, it’s a little ridiculous—but that’s exactly where its magic lies.