Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 27) — Actor Piolo Pascual talks about how the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry “Mallari” fell into his lap and how the film looks into the life of the country’s first documented serial killer, Fr. Juan Severino Mallari.
Pascual told CNN Philippines’ New Day that the priest’s story will be shown through three characters from three timelines.
“We had to expound on the story, you can’t just do a period film. They are time travelers, they are able to astral project, so because of that, that Mallari lineage is able to travel from one timeline to another to correct the wrong,” he said.
Mallari was a Filipino Catholic priest in the 1800s who confessed to killing 57 people to save his mother. He was imprisoned for years before being executed by hanging.
Pascual revealed he initially declined doing the film when it was offered to him. Upon knowing that the story was based on actual events, he got interested and accepted the role.
“It’s also educational because you get to understand not just the killing but why the killings happened,” he said.
The actor will also play Padre Pédro Pelaéz in “Gomburza” – another MMFF entry.
He said he had to learn Spanish for the character.
Pascual will release an album next month, which includes duets with other Filipino singers.
For next year, the actor said projects are already lined up for him, including a soap opera and three movies.
Talking about projects he wanted to do in the future, Pascual said he’s interested in doing a biopic about the late strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos.
“He’s an interesting character. I’m not pro-Marcos, but growing up, I grew up in the Marcos administration in the 80s and I experienced it first hand,” he said.
