SINGAPORE – More than 1,000 hopefuls answered local director Jack Neo’s call for a chance to become the next generation of Ah Boys – and the response took on a life of its own online.

According to the 66-year-old film-maker, this round of auditions, which started in June, was “a bit different”, as hopefuls began uploading their audition clips to social media, with some turning them into viral videos.

“It’s also another promotion for us,” he said. “A lot of people use their audition video as… their viral video. Quite interesting.”

Neo was speaking to The Straits Times during a media set visit for his latest movie Ah Boys To Firefighters at Punggol Fire Station on Aug 31, which was also Day 10 of a month-long shoot.

There, he unveiled his new leading men, along with three familiar faces – his Ah Boys To Men franchise (2012 to 2017) alumni Tosh Zhang, Maxi Lim and Noah Yap. Ah Boys To Firefighters is not a sequel, and the trio are playing new characters.

Neo added that the applicants were whittled down based on their performances and how closely their looks matched characters that had already been written. Some hopefuls were called back for second or even third auditions.

The eventual new ensemble includes Singaporeans Luqmaan Hakiim, 23; Raynold Tan, 28; Kiki Darling, 24; and Malaysian actor and content creator Chai Chang Yong, 30.