Warnermedia has officially announced its April line-up of titles both entering and exiting HBO Max. For the former, of course, we have the April 14 premiere of biopictoral boxing drama, Gensan Punch, a Max Original Premiere from director Brilliante Mendoza, and featuring actor Shogen (Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist; High & Low: Final Mission) who is currently filming Anshul Chauhan’s court room drama, December, which wraps this Spring.
Directed from a script by Honeylyn Joy Alipio, Gensan Punch is based on the biographical true story of Naozumi Tsuchiyama, an amputee with a prosthetic leg, who battles the odds to pursue his dream of professional boxing in the Gensan Quarter of General Santos City, Philippines. The film had its world premiere for the 26th Busan International Film Festival’s A Window On Asian Cinema program, winning the festival’s Kim Jiseok Award.
The English/Japanese/Tagalog film was shot in both the Philippines and Japan, with scenes filmed prior to, and spanning the Covid-19 pandemic under strict guidelines. The film also stars Ronnie Lazaro (Affliction; Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story), Kaho Minami (Dream Street; Hotaru), Beauty Gonzales (The Heiress; Angelito: Batang Ama) and Vince Rillon (3pol Trobol: Huli Ka Balbon!; Ang Probinsyano).