Pearry Teo Cause of Death: How the Singaporean Filmmaker Died at 44

Pearry Teo, a Singaporean filmmaker who made a name for himself in Hollywood with his genre films, died on March 9, 2023, at his home in North Hollywood, California. He was 44 years old. The cause of his death is still unknown, but some reports suggest that he may have overdosed on cocaine. Here is what we know about his life and career, and the circumstances of his death.

A Passion for Horror and Action

Pearry Teo was born in Singapore on July 23, 1978. He moved to Australia when he was 14, and returned to Singapore to serve in the military. He felt that Singapore was not ready to explore the concepts that he was interested in, such as horror and action, so he moved to the U.S. in 2001.

He started his career by making short horror films, such as Liberata Me and Children of the Arcana, which won awards at the New York Independent Film and Video International Film Festival in 2002 and 2003. He also screened his films at Cannes and other festivals.

He made his feature film debut with The Gene Generation in 2007, starring Bai Ling as a futuristic assassin who battles DNA hackers. The film also featured a cameo by Faye Dunaway, and was released by Lionsgate. Teo was considered the first Singaporean movie director to make a Hollywood film.

He followed up with Necromentia in 2009, a horror film inspired by Hellraiser, and Witchville in 2010, a Syfy telefilm starring Luke Goss. He also worked as an executive producer on Cloud Atlas, the 2012 epic film directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer.

Teo continued to make genre films, such as Dracula: The Dark Prince, The Curse of Sleeping Beauty, Ghosthunters, and The Assent. His films were known for their costume fanfare, religious folklore, and graphic novel allure.

His last film was Fast Vengeance, starring D.Y. Sao as a motorcycle racer who seeks revenge for his brother’s death. The film also featured DMX, the rapper and actor who died in April 2021. Teo and Sao also collaborated on another film, Shadow Master, which is in post-production.

A Mysterious Death

Teo died on March 9, 2023, at his home in North Hollywood, California. His rep, Italia Gandolfo, confirmed his death to The Hollywood Reporter, but did not reveal the cause of his death.

However, according to Hollywood LA News, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office identified Teo as a victim of an accidental drug overdose. The report stated that the cause of death was cocaine intoxication, and that the formal pronouncement of death was made on Thursday at 9:39 p.m.

The report also stated that the ruling by the deputy medical examiner was published on September 15, presumably after the results of the toxicology screening came back positive for the drug.

Teo is survived by his son, Ashton; his sisters, Chaya and Hanna; his parents, Tony and Lillee Sim; and his dog, Vlad. He is also remembered by his fans and colleagues, who praised his creativity and vision.

Teo once said that he always had that independent filmmaker spirit, and that he wanted to make films that challenged the audience and himself. He said, “I don’t want to make films that are easy to watch. I want to make films that are hard to watch, but rewarding at the end”.

Doms Desk

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