Harsh Vardhan
The chilling tale of Severino Mallari will unfold in front of cameras in his home country! ‘Severino: The First Serial Killer,’ starring Dolly De Leon and Dennis Trillo, will begin filming in the Philippines this August. According to previous reports, Yam Laranas is directing the series based on a screenplay crafted by Dodo Dayao, Rona Co, and Rody Vera.
The series will revolve around the true story of the Catholic priest Severino Mallari, who murdered 57 people during the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines; predating the infamous Jack the Ripper. Severino, who was convinced that a curse afflicted his mother, believed that he could cure her condition through these killings. Trillo takes on the role of Severino, while De Leon portrays his mother.
De Leon recently starred as Judith Gottlieb in ‘Between the Temples,’ which follows a cantor experiencing a crisis of faith when his former grade school music teacher reenters his life as his new adult Bat Mitzvah student. She also appeared as Rita in ‘Ghostlight,’ in which a construction worker’s life begins to mirror the drama of a local theater’s production of Romeo and Juliet. Her other recent credits include ‘Keys to the Heart,’ ‘A Very Good Girl,’ and ‘The Missing.’
Trillo’s recent credits include shows like ‘Bubble Gang,’ ‘Love Before Sunrise,’ and ‘Voltes V: Legacy.’ In ‘Love Before Sunrise,’ he portrays Atom Menandrez, who reconnects with his former lover Stella, rekindling their feelings despite the untimely circumstances. The show explores whether they can defy fate during their second chance at love. Trillo also starred in the gory thriller ‘Hellcome Home’ as Peter Villareal.
Laranas’s recent directorial work includes the thriller ‘Bugaw,’ which follows siblings Dolores and Isaac, known as the town’s prostitutes, who are held captive by a corrupt police officer, only to be forced to make a young girl named Lydia the town’s newest prostitute. He also helmed ‘Laruan,’ in which Camille, Rene’s wife, invites her lover Geoff over for dinner and an affair, but the dynamics shift when a new woman, Thea, enters the scene. Laranas’ credits extend to several horror and thriller films, such as ‘Death of a Girlfriend,’ ‘Abomination,’ and ‘The Road.’
Recent murder-fueled thriller projects filmed in the Philippines include ‘Nocebo‘ and De Leon’s ‘A Very Good Girl.’
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