The High Council franchise, which began in 2023 with the television series Projek: High Council, is expanding with a new project titled Kudrat 1968: High Council. The series and forthcoming film revisit the origins of the story’s setting, an elite all-male boarding school called Kolej Ungku Deramat (Kudrat), this time focusing on themes of social class and hierarchy in 1968 Malaysia.

Kudrat 1968 centers on a group of new students arriving at the prestigious school who quickly realize they are treated differently based on their family backgrounds. Among them is Ungku Abbas Ungku Deramat, portrayed by Zarif Ghazzi, the abandoned son of the school’s founder who enrolls on a scholarship. His arrival sparks immediate conflict with the head prefect Tengku Uda Tengku Ali, played by Mierul Aiman.

Distinctively, the narrative will unfold in two formats: a four-episode television series followed by a feature film slated for release later this year. According to executive producer Raja Jastina Raja Arshad, who also heads Astro Shaw, both were developed and filmed simultaneously to create a seamless storytelling experience. The series format allows for greater character exploration and emotional depth, while the film offers a cinematic conclusion.

Director and showrunner Zulaikha Zakaria, who previously co-directed and co-wrote Projek: High Council, described the approach as a response to evolving audience preferences and storytelling methods, especially as younger generations engage with content in varied formats including social media. She acknowledged the risk involved in this "One Story, Two Formats" initiative but expressed optimism about audience reception, hoping it will encourage viewers to experience the finale in cinemas.

The High Council franchise has explored different themes in each installment. Projek: High Council dealt primarily with bullying, while Kahar: Kapla High Council, a 2024 film, focused on violence. Kudrat 1968 takes a broader societal perspective, addressing entrenched systems of hierarchy tied to social class and status both within and beyond the school environment. Raja Jastina emphasized that the story encourages reflection on how these divisions influence identity, choices, and conflict in life.

Choosing 1968 as the setting was intentional, as the year represented a formative period for Malaysia, described by Zulaikha as a "young nation still searching for its identity amid significant changes and tensions." This historical context shapes the school culture and societal dynamics depicted in the story.

Recreating the late 1960s presented considerable challenges for the production team, as many authentic materials and references from the era no longer exist. Six months of research involved studying interviews, recordings, and language from that period to accurately capture speech patterns and social nuances. Props and set pieces had to be sourced internationally or custom-built, reflecting concerns voiced by the filmmakers about Malaysia’s limited preservation and revival of historical artifacts.

Both Raja Jastina and Zulaikha hope Kudrat 1968 will resonate with audiences by evoking a culturally relevant narrative that prompts conversations about social stratification, while also offering fans of the High Council series an engaging and immersive continuation of its established world.