Fil-Am actor Jacob Batalon stars in thriller ‘Tarot’

CEBU, Philippines — Filipino-American Jacob Batalon (“Spider-Man: Homecoming”, “Spider-Man: Far From Home”, “Spider-Man: No Way Home”) delves into horror as he tries to escape his deadly fate in “Tarot”, in Philippine cinemas May 1.

“Tarot” brings to life the classic fortune-telling deck, where a group of friends violate the sacred rule of Tarot readings – never use someone else’s deck. This unleashes an evil within the cursed cards where one by one, the group meet their deadly fate dealt to them. It’s up to the group to face the unspeakable evil and escape their foretold death.

Director-writer Anna Halberg, with her writing and directing partner Spencer Cohen, drew inspiration for “Tarot” from the inherent fear brought about the occult. “There’s something inherently scary about tarot cards and tarot readings,” Halberg says.

“We love astrology and horoscopes because it’s a way to learn about yourself, but it’s also a way to bring clarity and to learn about the future. On the other hand, if you know what the future is going to hold, good or bad, it will influence the decisions that you make, and just because you could know what the future brings, I don’t know that it’s a good idea that you should.”

Halberg and Cohen aimed to make a horror film that plays well as a group experience. “Horror is best experienced in a group,” says Halberg. “There’s something so scary and fun about sitting in a dark theater with a group of strangers and going on this emotional rollercoaster.”

“It’s like being out on Halloween night and going to a haunted house with your friends,” adds Cohen. “We specifically designed this experience for the big screen.”