"Mallari" is touted to be the most expensive film to be made in this year's roster of entries for the Metro Manila Film Festival. Its producer, Mentorque Productions, may be a newcomer in the industry but it is leaving no stone unturned to make their maiden offering of epic proportions. 

Last Nov. 25, Mentorque dropped the biggest announcement: that it is teaming up with Hollywood powerhouse Warner Bros. for the latter to be in charge of the  local distribution of "Mallari."

The partnership was made official at the Chairman's Lounge of Okada Manila, with a formal contract-signing ceremony  between Mentorque Productions President John Bryan Diamante and Warner Bros. Philippines’ distribution director, Rico Gonzales.  

The event was also attended by film director Derick Cabrido, screenwriter Enrico Santos, and the main cast which included Piolo Pascual, Gloria Diaz. Elisse Joson, Janella Salvador, and Ron Angeles.

"Mallari is the first mainstream film to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures in the Philippines. May this partnership be a gateway to more collaborations and give more opportunities to the industry," Bryan noted.

Rico, on the other hand, remarked: "Bryan's favorite line to describe our partnership is 'the stars have aligned.’ My version is, ‘Some things are meant to happen.’ When my bosses from the regional office came over a few months ago, the new directives given to me were to look out for local movies that will be worth our while."

The first order of the day was to see if 'Mallari' would pass Warner Bros.' strict quality requirements. Bryan revealed that they spent P80 million for 'Mallari' to meet the standards of Warner Bros. They even constructed an entire town plaza complete with a whole church to mimic the film's 19th century setting.

The whole production thankfully received Warner Bros. approval. In Rico's own words: "I was able to view the movie, and it was really, really good and I’m happy with the performances of the cast. You’ve seen nothing like this. This is a different horror movie. Mahirap magbuhat ng sariling bangko but Warner Bros. will not put our logo, our stamp of approval, on a movie that is not worth it.”

'Mallari' is described as a mind-bending horror masterpiece inspired by the true story of Fr. Severino Mallari, the Philippines' first and only serial killer-priest. In Mentorque's opinion, there are other factors which makes the movie a must-see: its extensive special effects, the fact that it revolves around three time periods and the "rare alchemy of popcorn jumpscare horror-mystery."

Piolo, as Mallari, couldn't be prouder that a big name like Warner Bros. decided to associate itself with the movie as its distinguished distributor. "Pwede pala, possible pala. It's a privilege to be part of something this big and to be tapped by Warner Bros kasi siyempre international brand yan eh."

"Now that this is their first partnership with a Philippine producer, it will definitely open doors for us (in the entertainment industry). Especially those who not only want to showcase Philippine cinema here, but also abroad. It’s not just a welcome change. It’s something that we should celebrate as Filipinos," Piolo added.

Rico quoted a classic line from the classic film 'Casablanca' to describe its increasingly active role in the Philippine movie industry: "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." He announced that along with local film distribution, Warner and Mentorque will also explore how Warner Bros. will distribute Filipino films to the Asian region. Co-productions and collaborations in streaming are also being considered.