18-12-2008

Recep Ivedik: Turkish box office success

By Deniz Ziya Temeltas
    As the year ends Turkish cinema goers laughing out loud, and local box office hit Recep Ivedik is leading the pack, but another new comedy is on its heels to claim first place.

    Recep Ivedik is the story of Recep, a man with almost completely covered with body hair, who is trying to impress his childhood lover at a resort. Although it may sound like a romantic movie, it is not. It's a comedy that brought the his TV audience into the theatres where the series was a rating champ, combining the experience of Faruk Aksoy, a prolific producer of comedy, and Mehmet Soyarslan, the producer of box office hit Ottoman Republic, and the general manager of Ozen Film, the biggest feature film distributor of Turkey combining FOX with independendents, and also a film exhibitor.

    The most screened film of all times, Recep Ivedik is being turned into a franchise and Recep Ivedik 2' has completed shooting and will open on February 12, 2009. Once again written by a team of writers led by the principal actor Sahan Gokbakar with the same director in helm, the film shot in Istanbul and gives larger role to the grandmother played by Gulsen Ozbakan who spends most of her time on her Play Station.

    But Recep Ivedik's time at the top of the charts looks limited. Turks are lining up at the theatres to see A.R.O.G. from Cem Yilmaz (a continuation of the stone age adventures of G.O.R.A., the 2004 champion), which is expected to surpass Recep's numbers before the year's end. To add to the thrill for cinema audiences, Muro, a spoof on 2007's hit Valley of the Wolf, is also a contender while Ottoman Republic is still running strong. Three comedies at over 840 screens Turkey continuing through the holidays may result in the best four weeks ever for Turkish films.