Mat Kilau Actor Says He Did Not Receive Bonus Despite Movie Grossing RM100mil at Box Office

Last year, the local historical epic Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan (The Rise of the Warriors) grossed more than RM100 million, marking a significant milestone for the local entertainment industry. The movie maintained its top spot for trending movies for 4 weeks in a row, as announced by GSC in a Facebook post. 

Despite the massive sale, it was not always a celebratory moment behind the scenes. Datuk Adi Putra, the actor who graced the screen as the titular character revealed that he did not receive any bonus for the movie despite gaining 7-figure sales at the box office. However, he’s not angry about the lack of a bonus for the movie.

“Honestly, I did not receive any bonus for Mat Kilau, but I’m still grateful,” Adi told Harian Metro.

Adi starred in 2 major roles last year, the other being Major Adnan Zain in Air Force The Movie, which was released in August 2022. The movie grossed around RM30 million in total and despite the significantly lesser box office, Adi said that he received a bonus for Air Force The Movie. 

“I can’t disclose the amount of bonus, but what I can say is I’m really grateful for that.”

He added that other actors in the movie and the film crew also received their respective bonuses. To him, it’s a sign of appreciation and respect for everyone involved in Air Force the movie.

“The producer of the film appreciates the manpower and the casts, and that’s the important thing.”

Speaking further about his future as Mat Kilau, Adi admitted that he is unlikely to return to the role. A prequel for Mat Kilau is in the works and according to the actor, his name has been removed from the cast since last year. He said that he has no idea what the prequel will be about but reminds the producers to tell the fan if it’s not going to revolve around his character.

“It’s not right to give false hopes to the fans,” Adi said.

The prequel of Mat Kilau will also be handled by a different production studio and director.

If you have caught up with Mat Kilau, what do you think of the movie? Do you think the actor deserves a bonus for his performance in the film?

Also read: Kelantanese Are Travelling All The Way To T’ganu For Mat Kilau Movie, Urges State Gov’t To Reopen Cinemas