SINGAPORE — More than 1,000 hopefuls answered Jack Neo’s casting call. Now, the veteran filmmaker has finally revealed the four newcomers who will carry the next generation of his hugely popular Ah Boys franchise.
The four — Raynold Tan, Chai Chang Yong, Luqmaan Hakiim and Kiki Darling — were unveiled during a media visit to the set of Ah Boys To Firefighters at Punggol Fire Station on Aug 31.
And according to Neo, getting the roles was about much more than simply looking the part.
The 66-year-old director and his team spent months reviewing audition submissions after launching an open casting call in June. More than 1,000 audition clips were submitted before the field was narrowed down, with some candidates returning for second and third auditions.
The final four were selected based on a combination of their performances, appearance and how closely they matched characters Neo and his team had already developed.
So, why did Jack Neo pick these four?
For Luqmaan Hakiim, who plays Hassan, the answer was particularly straightforward.
Neo said the 23-year-old looked exactly like what the production was seeking based on the script. Luqmaan, a content creator and businessman who co-owns local candy chain The SGFR Store, is also making his feature-film acting debut.
For Luqmaan, the opportunity is especially meaningful because he grew up watching the original Ah Boys To Men films.
He reportedly auditioned without expecting to land the role — making the moment he eventually stepped onto the set feel almost surreal.
Raynold Tan, 28, was selected after receiving strong support from Neo’s team during the casting process.
Unlike some of his fellow newcomers, Tan already has acting experience. He has appeared in productions including The Day I Loved You, Come Closer, My Crazy Yandao and Provocative.
Neo told reporters that Tan received the most votes when the team was finalising the cast.
The Malaysian connection
Then there is Chai Chang Yong, a 30-year-old Malaysian actor, influencer and businessman with a substantial social-media following.
Chai was not simply chosen because of his popularity.
Neo said the Johor-born content creator was also suitable for the character, while acknowledging that his large audience could help the film connect with viewers across the Causeway.
According to The Straits Times, Chai has more than two million followers across Instagram and YouTube, making him a potentially valuable bridge to the Malaysian market.
Neo even jokingly described him as a potential “secret weapon” for the movie.
Why Kiki Darling stood out
The fourth lead, Kiki Darling, 24, is also making his feature-film debut.
Neo said Kiki’s manner of speaking and his actions helped convince the production team that he was right for the role of Ramesh Menon.
For Kiki, being selected for the movie is particularly significant.
He described the opportunity as a rare honour, noting that many Singaporean boys grew up hoping to appear in an Ah Boys movie.
Now, he and the other three newcomers have the difficult task of following in the footsteps of a cast that became closely associated with Singapore’s movie culture.
A new generation of ‘Ah Boys’
Ah Boys To Firefighters follows four full-time national servicemen who are posted to the same fire station.
The four characters — Ayden Cheong, West Seah, Hassan and Ramesh Menon — have very different personalities and attitudes towards National Service.
As they respond to increasingly dangerous emergencies, however, they are forced to confront fear, trauma, guilt and the responsibility that comes with saving lives.
The film also brings back three familiar faces from the original franchise: Tosh Zhang, Maxi Lim and Noah Yap.
But they are not returning as their old Ah Boys To Men characters. Instead, the three actors take on more senior roles, serving as mentors to the new generation.
Zhang plays Sergeant Encik Daniel Ong, while Lim and Yap are also part of the leadership team guiding the young recruits.
From Army recruits to firefighters
The new film represents a significant shift from the original Ah Boys To Men movies, which focused on young Singaporean men undergoing military National Service.
This time, Neo is turning the spotlight on the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the young men and women who train to respond to emergencies.
Neo has previously said that stories shared by relatives whose children were serving in the SCDF helped inspire the project.
He was particularly interested in the role firefighters play on the front line.
While members of the public may be more familiar with military National Service, Neo believes many people know less about what SCDF servicemen experience during actual operations.
That difference is at the heart of the new film.
More than just another comedy
Although the Ah Boys name is strongly associated with comedy, the new movie is also expected to explore heavier themes.
The recruits will encounter situations involving fear, trauma, guilt and the consequences of having other people’s lives in their hands.
The production is also expected to feature large-scale fire and rescue sequences, with earlier reports putting the production budget at around S$2.5 million to S$3 million and indicating the use of virtual-production technology for some of the disaster scenes.
The cast have also undergone firefighting-related training and exercises to better understand the physical demands of the job.
During one mock firefighting exercise, the actors experienced firsthand how heat, heavy equipment, restricted visibility and limited hearing can make even basic movement considerably more difficult.
Why the casting process matters
Neo’s decision to bring in largely fresh faces echoes what happened with the original Ah Boys To Men.
When the first film arrived in 2012, several of its young actors were relatively unknown. The franchise subsequently helped turn members of its cast into recognisable names in Singapore’s entertainment industry.
The latest film is therefore carrying an interesting question into production:
Can these four newcomers become the next generation of ‘Ah Boys’?
For now, the answer remains unknown.
What is clear is that Neo is deliberately giving the new cast room to develop their own identities.
The director is also known for allowing improvisation on set, and the newcomers said the flexibility has helped them bring elements of their own personalities into their characters.
The veteran actors, meanwhile, are now taking on the role of mentors — a striking change from their own early days on Neo’s sets.
A 2027 comeback with a new generation
The original Ah Boys To Men franchise became one of Singapore’s most successful local film series, with several instalments ranking among the country’s highest-grossing Asian films.
The first film was released in 2012, followed by Ah Boys To Men 2 in 2013, Ah Boys To Men 3: Frogmen in 2015 and Ah Boys To Men 4 in 2017.
Almost a decade after the last instalment, Neo is now attempting to revive the formula with a completely different environment — one centred on firefighters, rescue operations and the realities of SCDF service.
Ah Boys To Firefighters is currently targeting a Chinese New Year 2027 theatrical release.
And with four fresh faces stepping into the spotlight after a casting search involving more than 1,000 hopefuls, the biggest question may no longer be why Jack Neo chose them.
It is whether these four newcomers can create the same cultural impact as the original Ah Boys did 14 years ago.
Leave a Reply