SINGAPORE/MANILA /LONDON - Globally acclaimed Filipino actress Sharon Cuneta will star and produce the feature film adaptation of the novel “The Mango Bride” in her first venture with global IP firm 108 Media and Los Angeles-based BOLD MP.
Dubbed the “Megastar” of Filipino entertainment, Cuneta’s last migration story "Caregiver" also broke box office records in the Philippines.
Slated for a late 2022 production, “The Mango Bride” chronicles the intersecting lives of two Filipino women who migrate to California. Amparo, a quiet socialite born into a wealthy family, and Beverly, a wide-eyed mail-order bride, discover hidden truths as their stories meet and intertwine.
“The Mango Bride” was written by Marivi Soliven and was printed in English by Penguin Random House, in Filipino by National Book Store and in Spanish by Grupo Planeta. The novel won the highest literary prize in the Philippines – the Grand Prize of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards. The book was acquired and developed by 108 Media.
Cuneta, one of the most known Filipino faces and names in the world, says: “I wanted to do ‘The Mango Bride’ because it’s the best way to connect to a global audience by putting some of the best Filipino talents and stories together to tell an emotional and uplifting story like this.
“I have long been a fan of Marivi Soliven’s writing, from Suddenly Stateside, her collection of light essays about living in the U.S., to ‘The Mango Bride.’ She captures the Filipino migrant and Filipino American experience skillfully.”
Set to direct the adaptation is Filipino-Canadian Martin Edralin. Edralin recently made waves at South by Southwest with his similarly themed feature debut Islands, bagging the Special Jury Prize for Breakthrough Performance for its cast.
Rae Red will be adapting the novel and writing the screenplay. Red recently swept the awards circuit for “Babae at Baril” (The Girl and The Gun), a story of a vengeful sales lady who discovers a gun. Considered a rising star in the Filipino film industry, Rae is part of the famed Red clan of filmmakers.
Producing will be 108 Media’s President (Production) Justin Deimen and 108 Media’s APAC Producer Micah Tadena, who produced “Eerie,” the blockbuster Filipino horror on Netflix.
She says: "We're excited to bring together Filipino creative heavyweights from across the globe for our adaptation of ‘The Mango Bride,’ a critically-acclaimed and inspiring novel to Filipinos around the world and to international audiences. 108 Media is also excited to organically establish the first of many Filipino-American content stacks with our producing partners and brilliant creators."
Aside from Sharon, other executive producers on the project include Anna Liza Recto and Michael Kaleda of Los Angeles-based talent management and production company BOLD MP with Ryo Ebe, 108 Media (Asia) Managing Director, 108 Media’s CEO Abhi Rastogi and Kevin Balhetchet.
108 Media will also invest in and sell the title through its financing arm geared towards international markets, with a key focus on empowering new creators with cross-cultural IPs.
Recently, 108 Media acquired DCD Rights as part of its tactical mergers and acquisitions to cement their place as a full-service international media company which includes content financing and media rights management. It is headquartered in both London and Singapore with key sales and producing offices in Toronto, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila.