'How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies' becomes highest-grossing Thai film in Singapore

Thai tearjerker How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies was the Singapore box-office champion over the weekend of June 6 to 9.

The drama garnered an impressive $1.16 million in ticket sales, trumping Jack Neo’s sequel I Not Stupid 3, which made over $410,000 over the same weekend.

Neo’s family drama, which highlights the pressures faced by children in the Singapore education system, opened on June 6.

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The Thai drama follows a university dropout (Billkin Putthipong Assaratanakul) who cares for his grandma (Usha Seamkhum), who has been diagnosed with end-stage cancer. It has earned $1.77 million after 11 days of release.

Besides becoming the highest-grossing Thai film in Singapore, it is now ranked sixth in the 2024 box office after Money No Enough 3, Kung Fu Panda 4, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, Dune: Part Two, and Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes.

In Thailand, ticket sales for the film, which opened in April, have crossed 334 million baht (S$12.3 million).

The film has sparked a viral trend, where moviegoers document their teary responses to it on social media.

“Everybody has a family, I think that is why this film resonates with that very deep feeling we can all relate to,” director Pat Boonnitipat told the South China Morning Post recently.

“Thailand and Singapore are so different in many ways, but when you go deep down, we react to a story in the same way,” the 33-year-old said.

“I’m very thankful for people posting their videos, and I’m very fortunate to see the faces of the audience.”

This article was originally published in The Straits Times.