PUBLISHED ONSeptember 22, 2025 7:10 AMBYKristy ChuaDo aliens really exist? Maybe they do, maybe they don't - but what we know for sure is that marketing geniuses do.
Yesterday (Sept 21), the team behind local sci-fi film We Can Save the World!!! took to Instagram to shed some light on the recent strange phenomena spotted in several parts of Singapore.
On Sept 19, videos of a bright orb of lightning floating at Pasir Ris Park, across an empty road in Tampines as well as a HDB void deck in Yishun went viral.
The clips roused much interest in online spaces, with some racking up to 1.5 million views on TikTok, as well as multiple discussions on the origin of the phenomena taking place on Reddit.
While some thought it was created by AI, others jokingly said it could be a supernatural occurence owing to the lunar seventh month - AKA ghost month - now.
Rational netizens also speculated they are ball lightning. According to scientific reports, this is a rare meteorological occurrence that can sometimes be seen during thunderstorms. Still "unexplained" and not fully understood by scientists, the bright, glowing orbs can last several seconds.
The Reel of the movie's team - including director Cheng Chai Hong and cast members Noah Yap, Fauzi Azzhar, Teoh Jun Vinh and Xuan Ong - showed them looking solemn and saying: "It has come to our attention that there have been reports of strange ball lightning sightings here in Singapore.
"While such phenomena may or may not be real, at this point, we can't rule out that it might have been done by AI.
"The truth is what we do know is that this is not a marketing campaign for We Can Save the World!!! that is currently showing at Shaw, Golden Village and Eagle Wing Cinematics until Sept 24 or until further notice."
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Separately, the Reel's caption read: "It was never our intention to cause any confusion. To clarify, it has been four days since the film premiered in local cinemas...
"We have also separately spoken with Chai Hong, [producers] Tan Jia Min, Lee Yi Jia and Martin Loh who have watched the aforementioned video (of the ball lightning) multiple times, and confirmed that they in fact, are unable to confirm whether or not the above video was in fact a part of a marketing stunt for this movie."
We Can Save the World!!! follows Ryan (Noah), a disillusioned government worker who meets Peng (Jun Vinh), a homeless man claiming to be an alien stranded on Earth who needs Ryan's help to find a lost doomsday device.
Setting off across Singapore, the duo evade a doomsday cult and government agent, finding unlikely allies along the way.
Netizens in the comments section were tickled by the marketing tactic, with some choosing to play along.
"Are you sure? Really? Confirm it's not you?" questioned one.
Another joked: "Lies. Confirm Jun Vinh farted this one then y'all tried to cover it up."
Previously, the indie film made its premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival on July 17, making it the only fully independent Singapore feature film in the Southeast Asian Frontiers lineup. Director Chai Hong was also the only Singaporean director to present a film at the festival this year.
We Can Save the World!!! also stars Leslie Sim and Daisy Irani.
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