MANILA, Philippines - After Sharon Cuneta in Caregiver (one of 2008’s biggest hits), director Chito Roño is now reunited with Maricel Soriano (they did Separada and Dahas) in Star Cinema’s horror flick, T2. No, it doesn’t mean Terminator 2. It stands for Tenement 2 at the FTI Tenements in Taguig, where the climax of the film happens.
How is it different from the two horror blockbusters he did, Feng Shui and Sukob (the biggest hit of 2007)?
“Feng Shui is based on a Chinese belief while Sukob is based on a local superstition,” he says.
“T2 is totally different as it’s more a serious drama na realistic ang treatment as a horror film. It’s based on what we call in Samar as Biringan, an enchanted world parallel to ours. I bought a lot in Samar and the 82-year-old caretaker told me to keep quiet at 12 noon kasi dumaraan sila. I asked: Sinong sila? And he said, yung mga hindi katulad natin. In the province, it’s believed that these elementals blend with us in our world, but they look like us humans so we don’t notice them. This is a different take on engkantos. Kasi when you say engkanto, akala agad, fantasy about fairies o mga lamanglupa. Our engkantos are based on actual research conducted on people who claim they have actual encounter with paranormal entities called engkantos. And that’s what we show in the movie.”
What’s the role of Maricel? “She plays Claire, a volunteer worker in an NGO for orphans. She’s married to Derek Ramsay. She is assigned to take Angeli, played by Mica, the younger sister of Angelika dela Cruz in real life, from Samar to some living relatives in the city. It’s this girl who sees yung mga hindi katulad natin around her. They want to take her and Maricel is introduced into this world in T2, which a portal to their world. Also in the cast are Tetchie Agbayani, Camille Prats and K Brosas as their neighbors in the tenement, and Eric Fructuoso as the driver of Maricel sa NGO. T2 is my most expensive horror film kasi it’s full of special effects. The last 12 minutes are all CGI set in the other world.”
How is it working with Maricel again? “It’s always a joy working with her kasi she always comes to the set prepared. Magugulat din kayo rito dun sa bata, si Mica. About 30 children auditioned for the part but I chose her as I haven’t worked with a kid this good since Serena Dalrymple in Bata, Bata. Magaling siyang mag-internalize and even her eyes act.”
Maricel sees herself in Mica. “I recall my days as a child star,” she says. “Even if she’s so young, you can see her dedication. Kahit abutin ng madaling araw sa shooting, walang reklamo. Mataas pa rin ang energy kahit mahihirap ang mga eksena.”
She’s thankful to Chito for getting her to star in T2. “It’s a combination of horror and fantasy na ginastusan nang husto ng Star Cinema dahil as the climax shows a totally different parallel world where Mica and I are taken. It’s all computer generated images and, ako mismo, nang makita ko, ano ito? Talagang kakaiba siya, huh!”
Roxy Liquigan, head of Star Cinema’s PR department, announced that after T2, their next movie is their Mother’s Day offering, Best Friends Forever BFF starring Sharon Cuneta, Ai-Ai de las Alas, John Estrada and Chokoleit, directed by Wenn Deramas. “We’ve lined up very good film projects for the rest of the year,” he adds. “We have And I Love You So, starring Bea Alonzo as a young widow and pre-school teacher who finds new romance in Sam Milby, a photographer so different from her late husband, directed by Lauren Dyogi. Then we have a romance starring Aga Muhlach and Angel Locsin, another one with Angelica Panganiban, Derek and Gabby Concepcion, directed by Laurice Guillen. We have a teen horror film na 60 percent finished na, Estrella, directed by Rico Ilarde, starring Shaina Magdayao, Maja Salvador and Geoff Eigenmann. We have a new Tanging Yaman starring Lorna Tolentino, titled Sa ‘Yo Lamang, with child star Santino. We’re also doing the Erap Estrada-Ai-Ai de las Alas movie, with Erap himself providing the storyline. And of course, we have the Vilma Santos movie, In My Life, to be shown in September. Pina-feng shui na naman and It’s Ate VI’s best month.”
Roxy showed us the rushes of the Ate Vi’s movie. She plays a very serious school librarian who looks so stern and strict but who lets her hair down and dances wildly when she thinks no one else is looking. “Eighty percent of the film will be shot in New York,” adds Roxy. “It will show how her visit to her son Luis Manzano in New York will change her routine life completely.”