Yes, Darna will fly!

Months back when this corner published a little (interrogative) story if the long-delayed Darna remake by Star Cinema was being “shelved(?),” Your Funfarer was relentlessly bashed to pieces by the fans of Liza Soberano who has been tapped to revive the legendary superheroine. The next day, an urgent clarification was published, with people concerned assuring the fans that the movie would be pushed through and, in fact, shooting has already started.

“Yes, Darna will definitely fly!,” confirmed director Erik Matti when Funfare talked to him last Saturday at the Alta restaurant in Santolan Town Plaza (Little Baguio, San Juan City) during the announcement of a movie (tentatively) titled The Wind Breezes On which will start shooting in November starring Martial Arts champion Brandon Vera and Hong Kong action star Dennis To (but more on that in a later issue; Erik was present to support Brandon whom he directed in the soon-to-be-released movie Buy Bust). “But I can’t say how many percent we have shot so far.”

What Erik is sure of is that Liza will not use any “double” in the fight scenes for which she has been training hard. (Liza is showing her "action" prowess in the Kapamilya series Bagani.)

“Have you seen Liza lately?” asked Erik who has helmed some of the industry’s heart-stopping action dramas, among them the critically-acclaimed OTJ (On The Job) and Honor Thy Father. "Doesn't she look so fit? Sobrang ganda ng katawan! I really admire her. She’s mabait, matapang at malakas ang loob. She lives up to my expectations.”

Director Erik Matti and Liza Soberano who has been training hard preparatory to her playing the Star Cinema remake of Darna. —Photo from Erik's Instagram

Besides Liza’s thorough training (martial arts included), preparations for the movie are, according to Erik, “madugo” (bloody), especially the sets (built in several locations), the costumes and everything else. It promises to be the most expensive Darna ever, with the budget reportedly running to multi-million pesos (exact budget confidential). But Erik assured that it would be worth it.

The costume which was originally designed by Nestor Redondo and Darna creator Mars Ravelo has been altered a bit as it has been done with every actress who has essayed the role, including Rosa del Rosario (the original), Liza Moreno, Eva Montes, Gina Pareño, Vilma Santos, Rio Locsin, Nanette Medved, Anjanette Abayari, Lorna Tolentino, Angel Locsin and, the last in the honor roll, Marian Rivera (who replaced Angel in the GMA series). Don’t look now but even Dolphy played Darna (in Darna Kuno), and even Sharon Cuneta and Regine Velasquez spoofing Darna in a Captain Barbell movie.

“We designed the costume last pa with the approval of the Ravelo heirs,” clarified Erik. “It will be executed by an expert designer who has the costumes of other superheros.”

Erik won’t reveal the designer’s name, though.

Asked who will play Ding, Valentina (could she be Anne Curtis?) and Liza’s leading man (not Enrique Gil?), Erik was mum.

“I won’t tell,” he laughed. “Or else they will kill me! Papatayin nila ako, hahaha!!!”

As expected, since it is the Erik Matti directing, expect the nth remake to be…out-of-this-world?

“The challenge we are facing is how to make a superhero film that is approximate to the superhero films that have been coming out this past decade,” stressed Erik. “We are not going for camp or just a funny-funny film. In the past kasi, because of limited resources, dinadaan-daan na lang sa pa-Kenkoy-Kenkoy. We cannot do that.”

Okay, Liza. Ready, get set, go…Darna!!!

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)