Multi-awarded actor John Arcilla has revealed that his dream acting role would be to play a comic-book villain in a movie.

"I accept the project kung ano yung dumating. Wala talaga akong dream role or dream project. Kung ano yung character at hand, I work on it. I should look for something very interesting. But now, parang may gusto akong i-explore. I wish I can join a film project with iconic heroes like Marvel and I want to play the villain. Parang gusto kong ma-penetrate yun," said John during a recent Zoom press conference for his upcoming Metro Manila Film Festival 2021 entry "A Hard Day."

After winning best actor at the prestigious Venice Film Festival recently, John said that he wanted to become a global star.

"I want to see myself as a global actor. We're already there - the international screen and we already got the citations. I want to sell myself as a Filipino in somebody's society. Parang a Filipino in America, not an American-Filipino or a Filipino in China, and play a major role, a significant one, in their society," he said.

John also plans to explore screenplay writing, but never direct a movie.

"Directing is not for me. It's a difficult job. Para sa akin toxic ito. I don't know why. My thesis in college is screenplay writing. I've been writing since I was young. Pero I might consider directing if I will write the story. I want to keep the soul of my story. Siguro yun puwede kong gawin, but directing a movie, and it is written by somebody else, I think I will not consider it," he said.

Just like the other stars, John is excited to take part in the annual Parade of Stars. But this year's event would be different, considering that it would be a fluvial parade. "I am very excited about the fluvial parade, but I need to be cautious because meron pa rin tayong pandemic. Sa Pasig River daw kami dadaan. I want 100 percent excitement not just for myself but also for our audiences."

Following two action flicks in a row ("On The Job: Missing 8" and "A Hard Day"), fans can look forward to John in several projects in 2022. He is slated to appear in two comedy films and another movie with dark characters.

Produced by Viva Films, "A Hard Day" is the Philippine adaptation of the 2014 South Korean crime action film with the same title, starring Lee Sun-Kyun (Parasite). The film was an official selection at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight. "A Hard Day" also received numerous awards from numerous award-giving bodies in South Korea, including the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards, where they won the Best Actor and Best Director awards.

Surprisingly, John never had a chance to watch the original Korean action film. "I want to explore the movie in my own style. Honestly, I haven't seen the Korean version."

An award-winning movie like "A Hard Day" only deserves an adaptation by award-winning actors and director. Director Lawrence Fajardo chose two of the best and finest actors in Philippine cinema, Dingdong Dantes and John. Through the years, Dingdong has earned several acting awards for film and television, which includes two Best Actor Awards from the Metro Manila Film Festival for his role in “Segunda Mano” and “One More Try.” John is also a Philippine Cinema pride with his latest win at the 2021 Venice Film Festival, where John received the Volpi Cup for best actor for the movie “On the Job: The Missing Eight.”

In the movie, Detective Edmund Villon (Dingdong Dantes) is having a hard day and the following events happen to him in less than 24 hours: His mother passed away. He and his coworkers are investigated by police inspectors over alleged embezzlement.

Then, on his way to his mother's funeral, he drives recklessly and commits a fatal hit-and-run. He tries to cover up the accident by hiding the man's corpse in his deceased mother's coffin. After the burial, Lt. Ace “Alas” Franco (John Arcilla) out of nowhere, starts giving Villon threats and warnings. He is about to expose Villon’s crime if he does not get what he wants from him - the corpse of the man that Villon hit.

Movie fans are sure to get a treat from the stellar performances of the actors, up to the film’s hard-hitting action and suspense. So don’t forget to watch VIVA Films’ official entry to the 2021 Metro Manila Film Festival, "A Hard Day," showing on Dec. 25, in cinemas nationwide.