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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Albee Benitez reveals budget for PH's most expensive fantasy film 'MagikLand'

Albee Benitez reveals budget for PH's most expensive fantasy film 'MagikLand'

Published Dec 10, 2020 01:46 pm
Albee Benitez

Nevermind the budget. 

Former Congressman Albee Benitez, owner of BrightLight Production, is happy with the outcome of "MagikLand," one of the 10 official entries to the virtual 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival, which took almost two years to be finished. 

"The original budget is P90 million but we already crossed P100 million. Actually I stopped counting. Considering the number of special effects, computer graphics, animation, lumagpas na kami ng isang daan. If you look at it, parang secondary ‘yung business side ng film,” said Benitez during an interview in Quezon City on Dec. 9.

Through "MagikLand," Benitez said that he was able to prove that Filipinos can make a quality fantasy film.

"It was designed really to showcase that Filipinos can. That’s why it took us a couple of years to complete," he added.

"Magikland" follows the story of four lonely kids who unexpectedly meet up after playing the MagikLand mobile app on Christmas eve. Not so long after, a magical phenomenon occurs: a portal opens in their midst sucking the kids from the real world and transporting them to the mystical world of MagikLand." 

As they fight to save this magical world, the kids also discover their respective strengths, and the power that can only be achieved through teamwork, selflessness and finding happiness in friendship hat they've formed with one another. 

Benitez said: "MagikLand is a Filipino fantasy film made for the family. It is an epic visual feast that takes you to a world where dragons, gods and other fantasy creatures reside.

The film's themes, he also said, are rooted in age old Negros myths "which is why the heroes names pay homage to the local landscape: Boy Bakunawa, Mara Marapara, Pat Patag, and Kit Kanlaon."

Benitez said "MagikLand" is one of the most ambitious films ever made in recent Philippine cinematic history. "Ninety-five percent of the shots for the film were  meticulously created with state-of-the-art visual effects. It was shot in Tanay, Laguna, Rizal, Nueva Ecija and Ilocos."

"Magikland is the last film from iconic director Peque Gallaga. It has the same feel and genes as his previous blockbuster hits Magic Temple  and Magic Kingdom," he added.

Benitez revealed that he initially wanted to pull out the movie from the filmfest because it is much appreciated on the big screen.

"We will release a director's cut of the film with some added scenes once it is shown in theaters next year. We hope that they will approve our request that it would be shown in cinema once the situation in the country has normalized," he said.

Watch official trailer:

Directed by Christian Acuna, the movie stars Miggs Cuaderno, Elijah Alejo, Joshua Eugenio, Princess Rabara, Bibeth Orteza and Jun Urbano. It also produced by Rey Bantug, Lore Reyes, and Gallaga. It will be shown on Dec. 25 via Upstream.     

Related Tags

MMFF2020 MetroManilaFilmFestival2020 Albee Benitez Magikland fantasy PequeGallaga
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