Thai Heartthrob Mario Maurer Plays Villain For The First Time

Thai blockbuster action-fantasy trilogy “Khun Pan” ends in a thrilling fashion with its third and final installment now streaming exclusively on HBO Go, starring Ananda Everingham in the lead role alongside fellow actors Mario Maurer and Phakin “Tono” Khamwilaisak, who play villains in the movie.

The 34-year-old Thai heartthrob Maurer is a sorcerer bandit named Mahesuan in “Khun Pan 3.” It was his first time to play one of the bad guys in any film or television project as he is usually known for his leading man roles in many romance movies, including romantic comedies.

Maurer admitted he got nervous playing the character at first, but it became interesting for him with the guidance of writer/director Kongkiat Khomsiri, who made him act as the “nice bad guy” in the movie. He said the role took him to an interesting journey as an actor.

“It was quite challenging to be one of the main characters in this movie… But I talked to our director so, yeah, he helped me out a lot because he said ‘you’re not really the (main) bad guy (because that would be) my brother Tono,’” Maurer said, referring to bandit Dam, played by Khamwilaisak. “If it’s like a color, I’m a gray. I’m not really a black one.”

Adding to the pressure was the fact that “Khun Pan” is very popular in Thailand.

For his part, Khamwilaisak described Dam – the main antagonist in the story – as someone who “adds another color” to provide a satisfying conclusion to the “Khun Pan” franchise. “This villain would make the last part of the trilogy the best one… The fans will love it, especially fans in the Philippines,” he said in Thai.

Set in 1950s Thailand after World War 2, “Khun Pan 3” follows the story of its title character, a legendary sorcerer cop, who faces a risky struggle for control in the country against corrupt politicians, superpowered bandits, and military generals.

Everingham said he got “mixed feelings” at the end of his on-screen journey as Khun Pan. He had been playing the character, who was based on real-life Thai hero police Major General Khun Pantharak Ratchadet, for over a decade in his career.

“It was quite emotional at the end of shooting. It took me a while to get my head around this idea that this character has been in my life for 11, 12 years. But I’m very proud of it,” Everingham told News5 / OneNews.PH in a recent virtual interview.

Despite ending the trilogy, the 41-year-old actor and model Everingham said he and the film’s director remain open to the idea of continuing the journey of Khun Pan in separate storylines, just like the fictional character James Bond of British novelist Ian Fleming that spawned an entertainment franchise in and of itself.

“Kongkiat and I had spoken from the very beginning that if the first ‘Khun Pan’ does well, we would like to create something along the lines of, like, a Thai James Bond. So, even though we wrapped it up with this trilogy, it doesn’t mean this is the end of ‘Khun Pan,’” Everingham said.

“I mean, we still envision other people coming in, picking up the mantle and maybe telling different stories of ‘Khun Pan…’ And who knows? Maybe I’ll take myself out of retirement and come back as ‘Khun Pan’ in my 60s or something like that,” he added.

Everingham and Maurer are familiar faces to a lot of Filipino movie fans, having starred in several Thai film productions that earned a massive cult following in the country. The “Khun Pan” actor shot to fame in the 2004 instant classic “Shutter” at the height of the popularity of Thai horror films in Asia.

Maurer became a superstar following the success of the 2010 romantic comedy “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” He also starred in the 2013 genre-busting film “Pee Mak,” which became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time in Thailand.

Both Everingham and Maurer have also made movies in the Philippines. Ananda starred in the 2012 Cinemalaya entry “Kalayaan” (Wildlife) directed by Adolf Alix, Jr. He played one of the Filipino soldiers stationed in the Spratly Islands with Filipino actors Zanjoe Marudo and Luis Alandy.

Maurer, meanwhile, headlined in the 2012 Star Cinema film called “Suddenly It’s Magic” opposite actress Erich Gonzalez. “I’m still thinking about the good times I’ve spent with all the Filipino team and, you know, I can’t wait to go back there in the Philippines,” he said.

“I’ve gone to the Philippines many times. So, I think, for the fans there, our countries have more similarities than we think. And so, I think a lot of the fans will enjoy this film (Khun Pan 3),” Everingham added.

Maurer visited Manila only last June for an event called “The Exchange: Thailand,” which brought together some of the best Filipino and Thai talents at the World Trade Center in Pasay City for a one-night concert experience.

“Khun Pan 3” is now available on HBO Go. The first and second installments of the film can be streamed on the platform as well. HBO GO is also available on Cignal, Globe, Sky Cable, Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV, and Samsung Smart TV with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.