(From left) Miles Ocampo, Franco Laurel, Jasmine Curtis -Smith and Tom Rodriguez Filipino viewers will soon have a unique and homey viewing experience as Hollywood studio Fox produces its first Filipino film. Entitled Maledicto, the movie features Jasmine Curtis Smith and Tom Rodriguez, and is directed by Mark Miely.

Other cast members include Matt Escudero, Franco Laurel, Noni Buencamino, Tonton Gutierrez, Liza Lorena, Miles Ocampo and Menggie Cobarrubias. While no other details have been released, the horror film is said to be already in the works completing some months’ worth of shoots.

“The movie will be for theatrical release and then, of course, it will be available soon on Fox +. We want people to experience it as a big theatrical because it is really made for the big screen,” said Jude Turcuato, SVP and general manager of FOX Philippines.

Fox plans to release Maledicto later this year. If it turns out to be successful, there is a greater chance Fox will continue to produce Filipino films. “The expectations are high because our sister company is 20th Century Fox. So, for us, a Filipino movie that has a Hollywood pedigree is something that we’re going on, that content is the next step for us as long as we get this right,” Turcuato further said.

The cast members said this is something different and they are expecting movie goers to be surprised, because it is not like other films they might have already seen.

“It’s a script that took us over a year to look for. We’ve listened to a lot of pitches and read at least over a hundred scripts to see what would work out. This one absolutely stood out for us. Hopefully we can translate it well to the big screen,” Turcuato added.

Producing non-Hollywood content has been a big step for Fox. And as far as Fox +, its video streaming device, is concerned, getting the Hollywood content right and tapping the right people, getting them to use the app and finding value in it come first.

“If it makes sense to go international, then we would. The movie is made for Filipinos. But it makes sense to release it internationally especially in places where there is a big Filipino population, “for example the East and West Coast, United States, Hong Kong or those types of cities,” he mentioned.

Exclusive only to Philippines are Fox+ Golden Globes-nominated series SMILF and political satire Our Cartoon President created by Stephen Colbert. In addition to worldwide The Walking Dead, viewers can also catch latest episodes of popular series such as Atlanta, 9-1-1, Homeland, The Good Fight, as well as The Good Doctor and Trust.

Sports fans can also catch their live sports events including tennis grand slam Roland Garros and motorsports such as Formula 1 and MotoGP. Coming soon are golf major The U.S. Open in mid-June and The Big Three at the end of June.

Fox + is available for download on Android and iOS mobile devices, Apple TV, and select Android TVs. The app is available for a free 30-day trial. Subscription is priced at P249 a month.

“In Fox, we want to be able to distribute and deliver what we produce, and all the content that we have with the people who are starting to get used to this kind of thing. We don’t claim to be the innovators of streaming, but we claim to have a good product that I think is not necessarily a good alternative but an addition to,” Turcuato concluded.

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