Latest news with #KarnivalJomHeboh2025
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Ejen Ali: The Movie 2's meet-and-greet thrills fans at Jom Heboh 2025
KUALA LUMPUR: Fans of Ejen Ali: The Movie 2 flocked to a special meet-and-greet session at Karnival Jom Heboh 2025 to catch a glimpse of the voice actors and mascots of the popular animation. Shafiq Isa and Noorhayati Maslini Omar, who voice Ejen Bakar and Ejen Alicia, charmed the crowd with an interactive session and prize giveaways. Qayyim Zamani, who voices the villain Neonimus, joined the press sit-down afterwards. "Actually, I work at WAU Animation in the sound design department. "This was my first time doing voice acting. I received a lot of guidance from Mr Shafiq Isa," he said. Qayyim shared his own connection to the film, which first came out when he was 12 years old. "I grew up with Ejen Ali, so I'm grateful. It still feels hard to believe. It feels like a dream." "Many kids dislike Neonimus, so I'm happy," he added. Shafiq attributed the film's success to its brilliant timing, and dwelled on how many fans grew up with the series. "Some fans were eight years old when Season 1 came out, and by the time this movie was released, they were already 18 years old. That's amazing," he said. Noorhayati, who has been a voice actor for 20 years, reflected on the project's growth: "Ejen Ali was my first local animation project; the others were dubbing for foreign cartoons. "When I first auditioned, there was no one else—just five or four people. Now that it's a hit, when they open auditions, thousands come." One of the parents at the event was Zawani Zainal, 36, from Cheras, who brought her three children. "It happened to coincide with the school break, so I decided to bring my children here, and they've always been interested in Ejen Ali," she said. Zawani said she found out about the meet and greet through TV3. "Ejen Ali is a good animation because it promotes strong values, such as not giving up easily. That's the kind of message I want my children to take away," she said. Bahtiar Ab Rahman, who attended with his children, said: "My kids really enjoy Ejen Ali. I think the animation is appropriate for children. Personally, I haven't had the chance to watch the second movie yet." The event came as Ejen Ali: The Movie 2 continued to make waves at the box office, raking in RM21.9 million after just eight days in cinemas.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Karnival Jom Heboh 2025's first day draws crowds despite sweltering heat
KUALA LUMPUR: Hundreds flocked to Karnival Jom Heboh 2025 on its opening day, undeterred by the sweltering heat and the fact that it preceded the weekend tomorrow. The event, held at KL Base, offered an exciting line-up of activities for families, music lovers, gamers and fans of local entertainment. Nana Hamdan, 38, from Johor made the trip with her family, taking the opportunity while her husband had work commitments in KL. "It is a chance to bring the kids out during the school holidays," she said. Though familiar with the Johor version of Jom Heboh, this was her first time attending the KL event. Describing the atmosphere, she said: "It seems livelier here, with more stalls and vendors. We always try to visit the Jom Heboh events to support the traders and to meet celebrities." Nana recalled previous events in Johor with numerous celebrities, adding: "As soon as we got to the parking area, we could feel the excitement." Zakri Shah, 39, a representative from Kaotim, a booth at the event, noted that this was not their first time. "I've been attending (to Jom Heboh) since 2023. Previously, I went to the ones in Kuching, Shah Alam and Johor Baru," he said. Friday saw a lower turnout but they were more optimistic for the weekend. "Visitors will come in large numbers on Saturday." Meanwhile, Muhamad Fadli Ikhwan, 27, an enterpreneur, came with his friends to participate in the Mobile Legends tournament. Commenting in the low turnout, he said it could be due to it being a Friday. "Usually, Jom Heboh is crowded." The day's heat, however, didn't dampen their enthusiasm, as one of Fadli's friend said: "It's okay, but it's hot." The day's activities kicked off at 9am with Zumba with Ejen Ali, followed by a colouring contest at the mini stage at Studio Tonton Drama Sangat. Visitors were entertained during the Nasi Lemak Kopi O' meet-and-greet at 11.30am, as well as a Didik TV edutainment session and the Buletin Challenge hosted by familiar anchors from TV3 and TV9 throughout the day. The day will end with the 'Ejen Ali: The Movie 2' voice actor meet-and-greet session at 6pm followed by karaoke later tonight.
