MANILA, Philippines — In a groundbreaking move, Warner Bros. and Mentorque Productions have inked a deal for the distribution of the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry, Mallari. The horror thriller, based on the first documented serial killer in the Philippines, marks the international film studio’s first foray into mainstream local film distribution.
The formalization of Warner Bros.’ partnership with the local production outfit behind Mallari took place in a contract-signing event on Saturday at the Chairman’s Lounge in Okada Manila. President of Mentorque Productions, John Bryan Diamante, and Warner Bros. Philippines’ distribution director, Rico Gonzales, sealed the collaboration in the presence of the main cast, led by Piolo Pascual, director Derick Cabrido, screenwriter Enrico Santos, and select press.
Warner Bros. will take on the role of handling the theatrical distribution of Mallari locally, a significant step for the international movie distributor. The last time Warner Bros. ventured into local distribution was for the limited release of the award-winning indie Munting Tinig 20 years ago.
Diamante noted during the Q&A after the contract signing, “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.”
Gonzales, on the other hand, shed light on the meticulous process leading to this collaboration, saying: “There were certain rules that we needed to follow. I’m happy to share with everybody that Mentorque Productions was able to provide all the requirements that Warner Bros. required from them.”
He continued, sharing behind-the-scenes details of how the partnership came about, emphasizing the quality of Mallari and Warner Bros.’ commitment to endorsing only films of high caliber.
“Ang favorite line ni Bryan 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. And then a week after, like as if he read that conversation between me and my boss, Enrico (Santos), whom I know from my days with Star Cinema and ABS-CBN, called me up and asked if Warner Bros. would be open to the idea of distributing a local film,” Gonzales recalled.
“I knew about (Mallari) because it was announced a few months before. I knew it was a Piolo project based on the first documented serial killer in the country. When it was pitched to me, I got more interested, but I told Bryan that we had several requirements before we agreed to anything and the last one was to watch the film.
“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.”
Pascual, who topbills the film that also features Gloria Diaz, Janella Salvador, Elisse Joson, JC Santos, Ron Angeles, among others, also expressed his pride in its release under the banner of an international brand.
“When I saw the logo of Warner Bros. in the opening credits, I thought, pwede pala, possible pala. So, I’m really ecstatic to be given this chance to showcase Philippine cinema and have Warner Bros. as partner, not just here but to be possibly shown abroad, malaking responsibility yun na i-carry mo,” the actor noted during the presscon.
“It’s a privilege to be able to be part of something this big and to be tapped by Warner Bros. kasi siempre international brand yan eh. It just gives a certain sense of international branding to it.
“Now that this is their first partnership with a Philippine producer, it will definitely open doors for us. Especially those who not only want to showcase Philippine cinema here, but also abroad. It’s not just a welcome change, but it’s something that we should celebrate as Filipinos.”
Meanwhile, Diamante hinted at an extended run for the film and an increased number of cinemas as among the benefits of the tie-up. He hopes for a wider audience reach, with Warner Bros. being the exclusive distributor for Mallari in the MMFF.
He further said, “Partnering with Warner Bros. is not just because we wanted to partner, we’re also learning from the company to broaden the audience.”
The possibility of overseas distribution is also on the horizon, strategically identified with the help of Warner Bros.
Gonzales said, “For now, it’s a theatrical distribution first in the Philippines. And I’ll be going to CineAsia and hopefully, I’ll be able to pitch this movie to our colleagues in the Asian region and eventually, some other territories that Warner Bros. is releasing a movie. We’ll go from here.”