Gloria Diaz says role in Mallari is different from her previous 180 movies
In her more than four decades in the showbiz industry, Gloria Diaz accepts a role she has never done before in her past acting projects.
In the upcoming suspense-thriller film titled Mallari, one of the official entries of 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), the veteran actress will portray the character of Doña Facunda.
“Lately, I've been liking to play something I've not played. I think, I've done about 180 movies, so this was different,” Gloria said about her role during Mallari press conference held recently.
According to Gloria, her grandchildren were the major reason she accepted this acting project.
She related, “Actually, yung mga anak ni Isabelle [Daza] and my children, yung mga apo ko, they love scary movies. So, sabi ko I wanna do this scary movie.
“Pero hindi ko exactly alam the story. Although I read the script, hindi mo masyadong ma-gets in the beginning. Of course, I was talking to direk [Derick Cabrido], and say, 'Bakit ganito? Bakit ganyan?' Then, I realized what I have to do, I said, 'Oh my God, kaya ko ba ito?'
“So, on a whim, 'Okay, I wanna do a scary movie.' Pero usually, when you think of scary movie yung mga nanggugulat or parang exorcism. Never did I imagine na ganito pala mga kung anu-ano… I don't wanna say it. So, it was different.”
Inspired by the story of first Filipino serial killer
Mallari is top billed by Piolo Pascual, who plays the role of Father Severino Mallari. He is a priest based in Magalang, Pampanga, who confessed to the murders of 57 individuals in the early 1800. He is said to be the first documented serial killer in Philippine history.
According to its director, Derick Cabrido; and writer, Enrico Santos, it took them four years to finish the materials for this fictional film.
Enrico explained, “Yung totoong kuwento ng Mallari na nasa Google, siyempre, serial killer yung basis. Pero sobrang konti ang laman. Sobrang konti as in nakarating pa kami sa Madrid pero wala kaming nakuhang data.
“So sabi namin ni direk, pwede natin ito gawing Pinoy kung saan ang cause ng lahat ng patayan at cause ng lahat ng takot sa Mallari ay may pinanggalingan, hindi lamang sa tao nanggaling.
“Doon nagsimula ang pagiging supernatural niya. Besides, Filipinos love supernatural movies more than killer movies na napapanood lang sa Netflix. Doon kami nagkasundo.”
Derick added, “Malaking factor din dun sa pelikula, siyempre, ang daming pinalalabas ngayon na horror, hindi lang siya one-sided na horror. I think, marami siyang levels. Marami kaming in-input na levels--from supernatural serial killer, at the same time, psychological, meron din.
“Going back dun sa kung madali ba siya i-merge on top of timeline. I mean, madugo ang pinagdaanan ng script. As in it took us seven drafts and four years in the making yung material itself bago namin mailabas. Marami kasing butas yung research kasi, this is 1812, wala tayong records, e. It's one of the reasons that we had to contact as far as Biblioteca sa Spain to see if there's a record there pero hindi namin makuha.”
Aside from being included in this year's MMFF, Mallari team, led by Mentorque Productions, also celebrates their partnership with Warner Bros., making it the first Filipino film to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
MEANWHILE, HERE ARE OTHER KAPUSO STARS WHO WILL STAR IN 2023 MMFF MOVIES: