By David Bottomley BBC News, Singapore

Three, which has a supernatural theme, is a trilogy which brings together stories and directors from South Korea, Thailand and Hong Kong.

We tried to find a genre with a pan-Asian appeal... We ended up going for horror, as scary movies from Asia are kind of the 'in-thing' at the moment

Peter Chan

It is a good time to be releasing a scary movie in Asia. It is the month of the traditional Chinese Hungry Ghost festival, when lost souls are said to roam the earth.

Many cinema-goers across the region will be in the mood for a fright, and the directors of Three hope their movie will do just that.

It brings together three acclaimed directors - Korea's Kim Jee-woon, Thailand's Nonzee Nimibutr and Peter Chan from Hong Kong.

Differing cultures

Mr Chan said that the supernatural plot was chosen to appeal to the biggest possible audience.

"We tried to find a genre with a pan-Asian appeal. Should we make a comedy, should we make a romance? We ended up going for horror, as scary movies from Asia are kind of the 'in-thing' at the moment," he said.

Mr Chan hopes Three will be a truly Asian film

"We had to bear in mind the three different cultures of these countries though. It was decided that it was sufficient to have a strange suspenseful feel, so I directed mine as a suspenseful love story," he added.

The producers believe that the movie's chances of success will be greatly enhanced by the production's unique international collaboration.

Ear-marked for success

Bringing together stories and directors from Hong Kong, South Korea, and Thailand should guarantee audience interest in those countries and, it is hoped, will stimulate business further afield.

"We realised that each country in Asia is simply too small to sustain a film industry in the long-run," Mr Chan explained.

"We're hoping to bring together the cinema-going audiences in Korea, Thailand and Chinese-speaking communities, and make a truly regional film," he added.

Mr Chan also added that the creation of the film coincided with a time when Thai and Korean films were starting to become extremely popular.

Correspondents say the film has been given good reviews by local critics and if it turns out to be a commercial success, this movie about death could mark the birth of a truly pan-Asian film industry.