‘Maid in Malacanang’ is a milestone movie for Cesar in many ways.
This signals his return to acting after being sidelined by the pandemic for more than two years. This is his very first movie outing with his son Diego Loyzaga and his unexpected and never-imagined opportunity to portray the role of Ferdinand Marcos.
Cesar said about working with Diego on this film project, “I’m excited. This is actually the very first time for us to work together in a film, playing father and son. I can never be more proud as a father, seeing him being entrusted this role of a lifetime, our President-elect Bongbong Marcos. I can’t wait to see the finished product.”
Cesar said he had seen how much Diego has grown as an actor. “He has improved a lot. I wouldn’t be surprised if he would be receiving acting awards and collecting them soon. He was joking with me about this project. He was asked if he feels the pressure acting with me. He told me, “Dad, don’t worry, I got you here. Aalalayan kita.”
Cesar will be sitting down with Sen. Imee Marcos soon to help him navigate the role of her father in this project. “I have questions for her and I know her input will be really valuable kasi sila talaga ang magkakasama noong mga panahong yun. Yung last 72 hours na nasa Malacanang sila prior to their departure.”
The actor is just thankful for this role and to Viva big boss Vic Del Rosario for handpicking him for this role. “I feel blessed and honored having been considered to play the role of President Marcos. I know it’s not going to be an easy task, but I really welcome this. It will absolutely bring me to another level of challenge, especially that we were only given a very short time to prepare. Nevertheless, I am sure this will be fulfilling in the end, knowing that God has allowed me to do this job for a purpose. May He be glorified through this film,” he ends.
VIVA SPARED NO EXPENSE TO LEND AUTHENTICITY TO ‘MAID IN MALACANANG’
Viva Films’ biggest and much-anticipated movie this year, “Maid in Malacanang,” which annotates the last 72 hours of the Marcoses in the Palace during the February People Power revolution in 1986, is not an attempt for historical revisionism according to Sen. Imee Marcos and director Darryl Yap.
During the press conference for this film held online yesterday, Yap said this movie will provide the missing piece in our history. He is fairly sure that no one can debunk the claims to be made in this movie, as they were made by people who were actually there.
Sen. Imee Marcos for her part said, “hindi naman namin binabago ang kuwento, dinadagdagan lamang ang kaalaman. I am not looking for controversies, but there are some truths that will inevitably be told and some lines debunked.”
Director Darryl Yap, who also wrote the film’s screenplay with close coordination with Sen. Marcos, tells this story through the eyes of the three maids who served the Marcoses for decades in Malacanang. He says they were real people.
The film’s genre is comedy, and the story will be told in that lighthearted manner. At the end of the day, Viva’s desire is for the audience “to take away a timeless story of a family looking out for each other” more than the political tone of the film.
WORLDWIDE RELEASE BEGINNING JULY 20
Viva is leaving no stone unturned in making sure that this film gets the grand promotion it deserves. “Maid in Malacanang” will be premiered globally in the Philippines and the US, Canada, Middle East and Australia starting July 20.
Led by a powerhouse cast headlined by Cesar Montano (as Ferdinand E. Marcos), Ruffa Gutierrez (as Imelda Marcos), Cristine Reyes (as Imee Marcos-Manotoc), Diego Loyzaga (as Bongbong Marcos), Ella Cruz (as Irene Marcos), and the three maids -- Karla Estrada, Elizabeth Oropesa and Beverly Salviejo, the movie spared no expense to lend authenticity to every detail of the production.
They even hired a hair specialist to make sure that hairstyles of the actors in the movie will surely befit the iconic characters they were portraying in the movie. Ruffa and Cesar were two of those who have requested to have another session with the hair specialist to make sure that they get every detail right.
Viva was doing this to also protect the artists and the integrity of the production especially that the movie has been getting heavy traffic on social media already, even before production begins on July 28.
It will be recalled that Cristine’s role as Imee has been getting the most reaction from the netizens.
‘PERSONA NON GRATA’ AI-AI DELAS ALAS’ SERIES CONSISTENTLY TOPS RATINGS
We dare say that Ms. Ai Ai Delas Alas’s popularity soared even higher after she, along with director Darryl Yap, had been declared persona non grata by the Quezon City Council recently.
This can be easily surmised because of the consistent high ratings being charted by her GMA-7 show “Raising Mamay” as revealed by the data from the Nationwide Urban TV Audience Measurement (NUTAM) People Ratings, where its pilot episode garnered 5.6 percent in April.
Since then, “Raising Mamay” has been consistently leading in the network’s afternoon block clobbering the ratings of its competition.
Ai Ai is the lead star in this drama series. She appears alongside the other members of the cast Antonio Aquitania, Tart Carlos, and Ina Feleo.
From the success of the political candidates she supported during the election and the top-rating show she has now, indeed, everything’s coming up roses for the comedy queen.
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FROM THE GRAPEVINE
Industry observers are quite “worried” about the future of this young dramatic actor, especially that there are not much movie or television projects going by for him nowadays. Our source said a series of bad decisions concerning his career and his network affiliation led him to this. He is reportedly financially strapped due to poor spending decisions. Our source said he just lost his house to the bank after it was recently repossessed for non-payment of mortgage. To top it all off, his personal life is in quandary, what with the additional pressure that he might be facing involving the new show biz girlfriend.
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BIRTHDAY GREETINGS
Happy birthday to my good, good friend Jojo Gabinete today. He is one of the few good ones in in this industry who has always been there for me through thick and thin. Thank you Jojo, for always looking out for me. For making me feel that you will always have my back when things don’t go the way as planned and for rejoicing with me through all the successes – personal or professional. You’re one of the most stable, reliable, enduring, heartwarming and most steadfast of friendships God has gifted me with in my lifetime. I praise Him for you. May you be blessed with health, love, joy and harmony all around you. May God continue to bless the work of your hands. You are much loved.