Try looking for writer/directing Pedring Lopez’s 2016 action horror, Nilalang, anywhere stateside and if you’re lucky, you’ll find it under some innocuous, generic title thanks to whatever schmuck snagged it for a legit U.S. release. It’s what’s always irked me – the dismissive, flippant way distributors handle Asian titles. That habit seems to haven’t dissipated, and thankfully, Netflix took notice in the wake of Lopez’s most recent feature outing, Maria, which hit theaters late last month to promising audience and critical responses.
Set to stream worldwide on May 17, actress Cristine Reyes stars as the former member of a criminal cartel forced out of hiding to dispense vengeance when her new lease on life is violently interrupted by the very crime family that nearly had her executed. The project marks Reyes’ first action role from a script by Lopez and co-writer Yz Carbonel, and with Sonny Sison (Nilalang, BuyBust), overseeing the action.
“We really can’t wait to introduce ‘Maria‘ to audiences in and outside of the Philippines.” said Reyes in an interview with FCSyndicate in February. “All of us really worked hard on this movie. It’s definitely the most challenging thing I’ve done in my career and, again, I’m super proud of it. It’s one heck of an action film but also a terrific drama movie about a mother’s love for her child. It’s a movie for everyone.”
The news comes following a wide-ranging content deal between Malaysia-based iflix and Lopez’s BlackOps Studios Asia banner at Filmart in Hong Kong last month, with eight-episode supernatural sci-fi action series, Anima Mundi, now in development. (Screendaily)