With principal photography having started on February 25 in Manila and FILMART set to start March 11, ABS-CBN, the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment company involved in the creation, production, and distribution of television programming both domestically and internationally, announced today that the company is heading to this year’s FILMART and will be actively seeking co-production partners and pre-sales for its action-packed drama series entitled The Bagman (8 x one-hour), a spin-off of the original locally produced digital series Bagman for the Filipino audience. The announcement was made today by Ruel S. Bayani, Head, International Productions Division, ABS-CBN, who will be attending FILMART along with Tanya Bautista, Creative Producer for The Bagman, and Lea Dizon, ABS-CBN’s LA-based development executive.
“ABS-CBN’s track record as a storyteller and content creator is one of our key assets that makes us a solid partner in international co-productions, as seen in our growing slate of global titles. As a pioneer and leader in globalizing Filipino content, we are pleased to be offering The Bagman at this year’s FILMART as it further strengthens our position in advocating for Filipino representation in today’s global marketplace. With the phenomenal cast now complete, coupled with the recent start of production, we have no doubt The Bagman will be a hit among buyers and co-pro companies in Hong Kong,” commented Bayani.
The Bagman stars Arjo Atayde, reprising his character Benjo Malaya from the original Bagman series, a role that won him the 2020 Asian Academy Creative Awards Best Actor. The series also stars John Arcilla (On The Job 2: The Missing 8, The Bourne Legacy), Volpi Cup Best Actor in the 78th Venice International Film Festival, and Judy Ann Santos (Mindanao, FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano) 2019 Cairo International Film Festival Best Actress.
The original digital series, Bagman 1 and 2, which sold to Netflix Philippines, follows the story of Benjo Malaya, a neighborhood barber who landed a job as the governor’s henchman and gets caught up in a dangerous web of crime, corruption, and political turmoil.
Now with The Bagman, when convicted prisoner and former governor, Benjo Malaya, learns the tragic news about his missing family, he is left with no choice but to return to the vicious underworld that he turned his back on, and take on a new mission, this time, as a Bagman for the sitting president of the Republic of the Philippines to stop an impending civil war.
The Bagman is produced by Philippine-based companies – ABS-CBN International Productions Division, Nathan Studios Inc., Rein Entertainment and Dreamscape Entertainment.
