Bianca Umali to star in ‘Encantadia’ spin-off series ‘Sang’gre’

Bianca Umali is currently "booked and busy," especially now that she is confirmed to be a part of the highly-anticipated spin-off series Sang'gre. 

On 23 October, Umali confirmed in a televised interview that she would play Terra, the daughter of the major character Danaya, in the spin-off. 

"Hindi ko hiniling pero pinagkaloob pa rin sakin (I didn't ask for it but it was given to me), that's why I'm very, very thankful… I assure [you] that they will not be disappointed; I will not fail anyone," Umali said, thanking her supporters and her home network for trusting her with this big project. 

The 23-year-old actress added that she has been working hard on her character as if she were preparing for a Marvel movie. She is currently undergoing training in arnis, the same weapon used by Danaya in the 2005 and 2016 versions of Encantadia. 

"I am preparing my physique for it, I am preparing my skills for it, and I have been studying everything about Encantadia," she said.

The actress revealed that she dreamt of being a part of the 2016 reboot, but she wasn't called in for an audition nor she was considered for a role. "Na-realize ko na kaya pala, hindi pala dapat ako nalungkot nung mga oras na 'yon na akala ko hindi ako kasali kasi meron palang ganito, meron palang para sa akin" (I realized that I needn't have been sad that I wasn't able to join, because eventually there was something also for me).

During the San Diego Comic-con in July, resident GMA director Mark Reyes revealed the series concept art, to which Umali commented with a leaf emoji that hinted at her upcoming role in the series. 

Encantadia's spin-off series has been officially in the works for a long time. In January 2022, Reyes posted a screenshot of a Zoom meeting with the show's creative team on Instagram.

Based on Reyes' Instagram post, Encantadia's creative team is composed of seasoned and talented individuals in the industry, including Encantadia creator Suzette Doctolero, screenwriter and National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee, creative heads RJ Nuevas and Ali
Nokom-Dedicatoria, and writers Anna Aleta, Ays de Guzman and Jake Somera. 

Encantadia is a 2005 classic fantasy television series that revolves around four sisters or sang'gres tasked to be the new keepers of powerful gemstones. It starred Iza Calzado, Sunshine Dizon, Karylle and Diana Zubiri. A reboot was released in 2016, featuring Kylie Padilla, Glaiza de Castro, Gabbi Garcia and Sanya Lopez.