Dennis Trillo and Piolo Pascual are both “Mallari” stars but in two different projects.
Dennis is set to star in an upcoming international series “Severino: The First Serial Killer.” Piolo, meanwhile, also played the same character in the film version “Mallari.”
Both projects tell the story of the country’s first documented serial killer, Juan Severino Mallari, a priest responsible for around 50 deaths during the Spanish era.
“Mallari” was released as part of the lineup of films of the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) last December. The former has no release date yet.
Mallari, Severino
The film “Mallari” and the series “Severino” gained buzz on the X platform after a film enthusiast named Dani (@denielemein) posted about it on her account.
“WAIT HOW DID I JUST FIND OUT ABOUT THIS?” she said.
“Dennis Trillo also playing Fr. Severino Mallari in an upcoming international series while Piolo Pascual is in the recent MMFF film,” Dani also said.
Her post also juxtaposed the posters of both projects.
WAIT HOW DID I JUST FIND OUT ABOUT THIS… dennis trillo also playing fr. severino mallari in an upcoming international series while piolo pascual in the recent mmff film.. what in the dennis trillo x piolo pascual iz going on https://t.co/CktKmtA1eh pic.twitter.com/EvaJUplUFK
— manic pixie dani girl (@denielemein) January 2, 2024
Dani also quipped on this, saying: “What in the Dennis Trillo x Piolo Pascual iz going on?”
Both adaptations of Father Severino were also unveiled at around the same time—the last week of May.
In separate projects, Dennis Trillo and Piolo Pascual are both starring as Father Severino Mallari, the first documented serial killer in the Philippines.
Trillo stars in the international series ‘Severino’ and Pascual stars in the horror film ‘Mallari’. pic.twitter.com/LgphB833gU
— Philippine TV & Film Updates (@phtvandfilmupd) May 25, 2023
CreaZion Studios, a production company behind the films “Patay Na Si Hesus” and “Iska”, announced that the series “Severino” will premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
The studios also partnered with Fire and Ice Productions, a financial and production company headed by the couple Ice Seguerra and Liza Diño-Seguerra.
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In an article by Variety, CreaZion Studios Chief Creative Officer Real Florido said that the project was “underway” at that time.
Florido also expressed the studio’s goal of distributing local films to a wider audience.
“Our goal is to be part of the wide-scale production of elevated Asian projects. With ‘Severino’ underway, one of the biggest series in the region, we are excited to continue diversifying and expanding our market potential by partnering with outward-looking producers and projects,” he said.
READ: Dennis Trillo to star in show about the Philippines’ first serial killer
Piolo’s “Mallari”, meanwhile, was one of the most awarded films in this year’s MMFF.
Helmed by Roderick Cabrido, the local horror movie won the following awards:
- Best Musical Score
- Best Visual Effects
- Best Supporting Actor
- Third Best Picture
“Mallari” was officially promoted after its trailer dropped last October.
More Piolo, Dennis
In her post, Dani also brought up the acting gigs of Piolo and Dennis as Crisostomo Ibarra, a fictional character in Jose Rizal’s novels “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo.”
“Not to mention how they both also played Crisostomo Ibarra in the past year with GMA’s ‘Maria Clara at Ibarra’ and ‘Ibarra’ (the theatre play!),” the post reads.
Dennis starred alongside Barbie Forteza in Zig Dulay’s hit fantasy show “Maria Clara at Ibarra.” It ran from October 2022 to February 2023 on GMA-7.
By mere happenstance, Piolo also starred as Crisostomo in the theatrical adaptation of “Noli Me Tangere” called “Ibarra.”
Directed by Frannie Zamora, the musical play opened on the local theater stage last June.
Dennis and Piolo, meanwhile, gained buzz on social media after they joined a TikTok trend using the audio “Ikaw ay Umalis” by the Blur.
@piolo_pascual Pag sumobra ang filter hehe. #PioloPascual #fyp #fypシ #foryoupage ♬ original sound – THE BLUR
@dennistrilloph Ang Lamig na dito sa banyo!🥶 #fyp #foryoupage ♬ original sound – THE BLUR
