Award-winning filmmaker Erik Matti expands his noirish crime thriller into a mini series
Ang “On The Job” na idinirehe ng acclaimed director ni Erik Matti ang isa sa mga pinakamahusay na pelikula ng 2013.
Pinagbidahan ito nina Piolo Pascual, Gerald Anderson, Joel Torre, Joey Marquez, Michael de Mesa, Leo Martinez, Vivian Velez, Shaina Magdayao, William Martinez, Rayver Cruz at Empress Schuck.
Nanalo ng best actor award dito si Joel Torre sa iba’t-ibang award giving bodies kasama na ang Urian para sa kanyang makabuluhang pagganap sa papel ng isang convict na nagtratrabaho rin bilang isang hired killer.
Sa Pinoy crime thriller na ito, in-expose ni Matti ang eskandalo at katiwalian sa mga kapulisan na nagaganap sa loob ng mga piitan kung saan ang mga inmates ay pansamantalang pinalalaya sa bilangguan bilang hired killers ng mga corrupt na politicians at high-ranking military officials.
Isa sa naging bentahe ng pelikula ay ang ginawang pagka-cast ng producers nito sa mga matinee idols na sina Piolo Pascual at Gerald Anderson sa mga roles na hindi nila karaniwang ginagampanan: si Piolo bilang idealistic NBI lawyer at Gerald bilang bagitong hired killer.
Dahil sa tagumpay nito, nagbabalik ang award-winning director nitong si Matti para ipagpatuloy ang kuwento niya sa pelikula sa OTJ The Series na mapapanood sa online video on demand.
“Excited kami sa project na ito. Malaking challenge para sa amin ang makalikha ng isang mini-series para sa bagong market tulad ng video-in-demand. It is a new challenge for us to explore new, unique materials that will pull in viewers who are tired of watching the usual stuff on TV. We promise to come up with something new that will be truly worth watching,”bungad ni Matti.
Ayon pa kay Matti,maraming dapat abangan sa sequel ng nasabing obra sa 6-part mini series nito.
“It’s gonna take the same kind of energy as the movie version. Same kind of energy as OJT 1, one that gives you sort of snowball effect where, while watching the first frame, you already feel the excitement that there’s a lot things that will happen and viewers will get hooked and look forward to watching it. We will be using some original Filipino songs and also selecting on several titles. Songs that we wanna put together into the series. We already have talks with several icons like Lourd de Veyra, Sago and might be even be utilizing the original songs of Joey Ayala. Also it will have new and added but no black or white characters, kundi gray characters, the same kind that people responded to and related with as the original from the journalists, the governor, the politicians, the hired goons and even the prisoners, even if they kill, we will find some sort of humanity in them, in the same way that we would not want to be judgmental about the characters we depict because OTJ is based or inspired by true events. If OTJ the movie is a composite of 3 or 4 stories, the series is more extensive because it is a composite of 10 to 12 stories when put together”, pahayag niya.
Korupsyon ang tema ng pelikula pero ibang topic naman daw ang gusto nilang talakayin dito.
“We wanted another topic. We jumped off and focused to another story, to another institution which is media. We wanted new and refreshing cast of characters. I think one of the merits of OTJ The Movie is that we have such a huge cast of characters that we admire. Here, we hope to deliver the same kind of feel by featuring a lot of actors in new and refreshing kind of roles”, pagwawakas ni Matti.
Ang OTJ The Series: The Missing 8 ay kuwento ng misteryo ng paghahanap sa walong nawawalang journalists na tinangkang isiwalat ang mga katiwalian ng isang makapangyarihang political clan sa isang bayang kung tawagin ay La Paz.
Tampok sa OTJ The Series sina Christopher de Leon bilang publisher ng isang local newspaper sa La Paz, Bela Padilla bilang isang hard-hitting journalist, Leo Martinez bilang General Pacheco mula sa orihinal na pelikula, Dominic Ochoa bilang anak ng isang makapangyarihang pulitiko na may susi sa pagkawala ng walo, Jake Macapagal bilang Nato, the middleman (kapareho ng ginampanan ni Vivian Velez sa pelikula), Smokey Manoloto bilang corrupt na pulis, Arjo Atayde bilang dating journalist na naging congressman, Nonoy Froilan bilang tiwaling pulitiko, Levi Ignacio bilang prison boss, Neil Ryan Sese at Renz Fernandez bilang bayarang hitmen, Teroy Guzman bilang Sisoy, ang corrupt media man ,at Ria Atayde at Nafa Hilario Cruz, mga anak ni Sisoy at marami pang iba.
Tatlo ang main setting ng pelikula: ang fictitious La Paz, siyudad ng Maynila at ang city jail.
Ang 6-part mini series na co-produced ng Reality Entertainment na itinatag nina Erik Matti at Dondon Monteverde sa pakikipagtulungan ng Globe Studios at HOOQ ay malapit nang mapanood online sa pamamagitan ng video-on-demand service.
Bukod sa OTJ:The Series, natapos na rin ni Matti ang “Seklusyon” isang horror-thriller na nagtatampok kina Dominic Roque, Hashtag member na si Ronnie Alonte, volleyball player na si Johnvic De Guzman at JR Versales, commercial model na intended bilang kalahok sa 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival.
Nakatakda ring gawin ni Matti ang ikatlong installment sa kanyang matagumpay na film franchise na Aswang Chronicles na muling pagbibidahan ni Dingdong Dantes sa susunod na taon.
