Enrique Gil (far right) with director Victor Villanueva (from left), Pepe Herrera, Nikko Natividad and Enrique's manager, Ranvel Rufino

People certainly saw a lot of Enrique Gil in the past few weeks - from brand endorsements to his corporate designation in an online ticketing platform, and most exciting of all, the announcement of his comeback movie "I Am Not Big Bird,"  set to be shown in the last quarter of 2023.

While fans have not seen much of him since the 2020 teleserye "Make It With You," indications point to the fact that Enrique is back with a vengeance, indeed. This time around, he will not only be an actor. He's also on top of his own company called Make-A-Break Productions, which will conceptualize and execute film and TV projects.

"It feels good to be back. Akala ko di ko mami-miss eh (referring to showbiz) , mami-miss mo pala kahit papaano. So yeah, I'm excited, I'm happy. I just wanna have a good time," Enrique remarked during the 7th anniversary celebration of ANIMA Studios in Poblacion, Makati City.
The event also served as the cast reveal of "Ï Am Not Big Bird" which will start shooting soon in Bangkok. Enrique will not have a leading lady in his comeback film, which is about four men who go into a crazy, fun adventure in the Thai capital. It has been described as an "irreverent" mature comedy by its director Victor Villanueva (of John En Martian, Boy Bastos fame.) Completing the cast are Pepe Herrera, Nikko Natividad and Red Ollero.
Nikko quipped: "Noong nagkita kami ni Enrique, ako pa ang nag-alala para sa kanya. Sabi ko, gagawin mo ba talaga ito? Bastos eh."

Enrique acknowledged that the role is truly something he has not done in the past. "From reading the script, I asked myself kung tama ba talaga itong gagawin ko, but at the same time, this concern made me want to make it even more because I haven't done it ever."
He actually plays two characters in "I Am Not Big Bird:"  that a 30-year virgin named Luis Carpio and the  porn star himself. The unique plot is inspired by the true-to-life experience of the movie's script writer Lilit Reyes. He had a friend in the past who was swarmed by a group of tourists because he looked exactly like one Japanese porn actor.

Enrique bared that a lot of projects were pitched to him during his three-year hiatus, but "I Am Not A Big Bird" stood out because it is an out-and-out comedy, a genre which he hasn't done.

"I haven't really done any comedy films, ever. I don't want to do something that I've done before. I wanted it to be different and more than anything, I just want a good time. I want the people to be happy , to laugh sa lahat ng stress sa buhay," he pointed out.
Deep inside, Enrique revealed that he always wanted to pay it forward. "I decided to step away from showbiz three years ago because I wanted a more quiet life. But at the back of my mind and in my heart, something just didn't really sit right. I felt that I needed to leave a legacy in the entertainment world. We created our production company so that in the future, even when I'm old and wrinkly, we will still be able to provide content and entertainment to all my fans and viewers. And not just Filipinos, but the international audience as well," he stated.

ANIMA Studios revealed that award-winning producer Soros Sukhum, who's also behind the culinary thriller "Hunger" on Netflix will be the producing partner when the film shoots in Thailand. "I Am Not Big Bird" is also slated to be lined up in international film festivals after its local release.

ANIMA unveils Cinemalaya line-up

Aside from announcing Enrique's much-awaited comeback movie, ANIMA Studios also unveiled its three movies that will be shown at the 2023 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival which will be held this coming August 5 to 14 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and in select mall cinemas.

"Rookie" - a coming-of-age love story about an athlete - stars Aya Fernandez and Pam Tingjuy, while Agot Isidro plays the coach. Natts Jadaone directs.

"When This Is All Over” starring actor-musician Juan Karlos, revolves around the biggest illegal rave party the lockdown has ever seen. It is directed by Kevin Mayuga.

“Marupok AF (‘Where Is The Lie?’) is directed by Quark Henares and is the closing movie of Cinemalaya 2023. It is a dark comedy, inspired by a real-life Twitter thread on catfishing. The lead stars are EJ Jallorina, Royce Cabrera, and Maris Racal. 

ANIMA Studios is a business unit under KROMA Entertainment. In her speech at the 7th-anniversary party dubbed "Future Horizons," Head of Studio Bianca Balbuena-Liew proudly shared: "We have films winning in Sundance, Toronto, Venice and Berlin. We have been nominated at the Emmys. We have fielded an entry to the Oscars. We have the first Netflix Originals film, the highest-grossing MMFF entry at the height of the pandemic, and have provided content that trended to the number 1 spot in international streaming sites. We have discovered some of the new voices of Philippine cinema.”

“ANIMA Studios has embarked on a journey of growth, innovation, and creativity. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of storytelling and to paint the full spectrum of emotions across genres," she stated.