KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 3 -- Hollywood may have brought the franchises, but Asian films have delivered many of Malaysia's biggest box-office surprises of 2026, from South Korean zombie thrillers and Chinese sleeper hits to home-grown productions.

While Hollywood releases such as Obsession, Backrooms and Project Hail Mary drew attention alongside established franchise films, titles from across Asia repeatedly topped the Malaysian box office.

Throughout the first seven months of 2026, regional films outperformed several highly anticipated and critically acclaimed Hollywood releases that had been expected to lead both global and Malaysian charts.

'Colony' and 'Dear You' lead the charge

Leading the trend is South Korea's Colony, which became M...