Actress Lovi Poe has revealed that she earnestly prayed for the esteemed Filipino director Lav Diaz, a prominent figure in the film industry known for his unique storytelling style, to lend his talent to the upcoming thriller "The Sacrifice." The film is produced by C'est Lovi Productions, the company she founded.

"A lot of prayers, of course. And we're honored that Direk Lav agreed to be part of this project," said Lovi when asked how she convinced the popular director to act again, during a recent story conference in Makati City.

Lav, 66, expressed his appreciation for the script and wanted to explore every aspect of the filmmaking process.

"Acting is something na gusto ko talagang pasukin. I like the script so I agreed to be part of the film," said Lav who said he was part of the production's utility team when he joined showbiz.

Prime Cruz will direct the movie, and he admitted to being starstruck by Lav's presence.

On his task to direct Lav, "We will do our best. I'm starstruck." Prime said Lav would play a crucial role in the film.

Lovi said: "Just the thought of doing my scenes with him (Lav) is kabado. Sabi ko nga kay Direk (Prime), kaya mo? I'm sure kaya ni Direk (Prime) yan."

Lovi, who is also producer of the thriller, stated that being a vlogger for a movie character is a new experience for her.

"Bago ito for me. I haven't been a vlogger who explores a country so marami kaming aspects na ipapakita rito. We're excited to show every character," she said.

Lovi stated that she would concentrate on this project before taking on any other showbiz commitments. "We will have a lock-in taping in Quezon for three weeks. The project will highlight the different places in Quezon. It is a thriller in which the cast enters a mythical place." 

In addition to Lovi and Lav, the movie stars Enchong Dee, Tommy Alejandrino, and foreign actors Louie Chapman, and Timothy Granaderos.

"I'm very excited to be here. It's my goal to return and work in the Philippines. It's my third time in the Philippines, and it's a huge part of who I am," said Timothy.

For his part, Louie said, "I play Eric in the movie. The script is cool, and there are a lot of twists in terms of what happened. I'm a big fan of psychological horror movies. I love a good story. I love watching jungle movies. I'm in the Philippines right now, and that's crazy. My friends are in LA and that sucks. Who wants to be in Hollywood right now? Everyone here is so nice, we're ready to get on, and we're ready to learn Tagalog. We're having fun."

Enchong said he was excited about his first film project for this year, adding that he wanted to be close with Direk Lav.

"I've always wanted to experience different productions, directors, and processes of my co-actors. This is a first for me. I've never worked with them, so I'm excited to see their characters and processes. 

"I want to be close to Direk Lav, but not yet. I hope the project will turn out the way C'est Lovi envisioned it. We can share this story with the world and taste Filipino culture and Philippine mythology," Enchong added.

Enchong also said he did not accept other showbiz commitments so that he could focus on "The Sacrifice."

"Tinanggal ko muna lahat ng commitments ko to be part of this project. Nasa point na talaga ako ng life ko na gusto ko na uli gumawa ng pelikula and when this project came, this is my first film for the year and I just want to go there and shoot it," Enchong said.

Lovi said that it would be the first time working with actor Enchong. "Ever since gusto ko na talaga siya maka-trabaho. So I'm happy that he's part of the project and kakaiba ang mga character nila rito. Ibang Enchong ang makikita rito."

Aside from Enchong, Tommy mentioned it would be the first time working with the other cast members.

"This is my first time working with everyone here except Enchong. We've worked on other projects together, but we've had no scenes together. I just met all of them, so I was feeling starstruck and grateful.

“I am so excited. I can't wait for this one because I am excited for this genre. With all of these collaborations, I am happy to be a young actor in the Philippines," Tommy said.

What makes "The Sacrifice" special is that it will be C'est Lovi Productions' first project in the Philippines.

Lovi also said she and her husband, British producer Monty Blencowe, are hands-on with the project. 

"He is working doubly hard for this. He's used to being behind the scenes because he's that type of person. So congratulations to you, my husband. So he'll be staying here for a while, and he will join our shoots," she said.

No target date has been set for "The Sacrifice," but Lovi said they would finish it before deciding on its showing.