In case you haven’t known yet…
Piolo Pascual is MALLARI
After starring in his first ever theater musical, Piolo Pascual, returns to the big screen in his newest film, Mallari, teaming up with multi-awarded director and independent film veteran Derick Cabrido. Inspired by true events, Mallari tells the horrific story of Fr. Severino Mallari, a 19th century priest during the Spanish occupation and his descent into madness.
The film recounts Father Mallari’s life and work as a parish priest in Pampanga, where he reportedly murdered 57 people to aid his ailing mother. The film is a period horror piece spanning three timelines: the Spanish occupation, the post-war period, and the present time, with Pascual taking on a different character in each.
Piolo Pascual says he is excited to do this project, as it is his first time to lead in a horror movie, as well as portraying multiple characters in a single film. Joining the powerhouse team is fellow newcomer in the genre, producer John Bryan Diamante in his first time producing a horror movie, and his team have great plans for theatrical screenings locally and abroad. Behind the production team is the brilliant mind of the writer and creative producer Joaquin Enrico Santos, the creative force behind blockbusters such as the more recent An Inconvenient Love, as well as critically acclaimed films such as The Trial.
Cabrido, on the other hand, is not new to the genre. He boasts an indie filmography with darker themes, including the gritty Children’s Show and the supernatural horror Tuos starring National Artist Nora Aunor featured in the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. More recently, he directed the Netflix Originals movie U-Turn starring Kim Chiu, JM de Guzman, and Tony Labrusca, and Clarita starring Jodi Sta. Maria, for which he won Best Director in the Fantasporto Film Festival in Portugal and the Mirabile Dictu Film Festival in the Vatican City.
Mallari will be produced by John Bryan Diamante of Mentorque Productions and Cleverminds Inc. and is written by Joaquin Enrico Santos.