Inherit (working title) kicks off production at GDH, with director Banjong “Tong” Pisanthanakun reimagining Tayard Asoon (Heir of the Demon) for a new generation of horror fans.

Inherit (working title), the latest adaptation of Thep Chumsai Na Ayutthaya’s 1991 classic novel Tayard Asoon (Heir of the Demon), has officially begun production, with horror hitmaker Banjong “Tong” Pisanthanakun taking the helm. The visionary behind shutter god tid winyarn (Shutter) (2004) and rang zong (The Medium) (2021), he’s set to deliver another hair-raising picture that’s sure to thrill genre fans.

A collaboration between GDH and Tofu Films, the upcoming feature assembles a star-studded cast: Davika “Mai” Hoorne, Thitiya “Baipor” Jirapornsilp, Sinjai “Nok” Plengpanich, Pakin “Mark” Kunaanuwit, Chayanon “Thai” Phakthin (of T-Pop group BUS fame), among others.

How faithful the film will be, and whether there will be shocking twists involved, is a matter that remains under wraps for the time being. But vintage Thai horror is clearly having a moment. Last year’s susan khonpen (Tomb Watcher), with Woranuch “Nune” Bhirombhakdi as the vengeful Mrs Lunthom, proved the appetite is stronger than ever.

Mention “Mrs Lunthom,” and “grandma Woranat” from Tayard Asoon instantly comes to mind. These characters are so deeply embedded in Thai popular imagination that their names become recognisable through cultural osmosis alone. No introduction was ever needed.

In Tayard Asoon, grandma Woranat may be pushing 80, but her face doesn’t look a day over 40. The reason: a wrathful entity lives beneath her skin, waiting for its next body to claim. Years ago, she inherited (get it?) a sinister doll from her grandmother, and with it, a generational curse disguised as a legacy. The heirloom came loaded with black magic, and once it chose her, there was no giving it back.

Over the years, grandma Woranat has been embodied by screen legends Chamaiporn “Meaw” Jaturaput, Sinjai “Nok” Plengpanich (also appearing in the new version, though not necessarily in a reprising role) and Pornchita “Benz” Na Songkhla.

This time, Davika “Mai” Hoorne takes the torch. After stunning global audiences with pee chai dai ka (A Useful Ghost) (2025), she’s ready to inject fresh menace and darkness into the immortal matriarch.

That centipede-spitting moment lives rent-free in our nightmares. It’s so iconic that “to spit out the centipede” has become a well-known idiom in Thai, meaning “to pass on” or “to bequeath”. For nostalgia’s sake, here’s an evolution of Grandma Woranat across the decades.

1/4 Chamaiporn “Meaw” Jaturaput

2/4 Sinjai “Nok” Plengpanich

3/4 Pornchita “Benz” Na Songkhla

4/4 Davika “Mai” Hoorne