‘Deadma Walking’ goes up against its seven-year itch

Deadma Walking, written by Eric Cabahug, directed by Julius Alfonso, was a film in competition in the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival, produced by T-Rex Entertainment.

The drama-comedy’s main narrative centered on John (portrayed by Joross Gamboa), a terminally ill gay man; his best friend Mark (played by Edgar Allan Guzman); and his morbid request to stage his death and see what happens during the wake.

Since it was shown in cinemas, the motion picture is now revered as an important film because of its unique and heartwarming story that resonates with the audiences. Along with the outstanding and truthful performance of the Gamboa-Guzman tandem, the manner it tackled the themes of death, love and acceptance greatly contributed to the conversation on the issues and concerns of the Filipino gay community.

Now, Deadma Walking goes up against and scratches its seven-year itch as a sequel is currently in development with the working title, Drag Me 2 Heaven.

Diva View has an exclusive interview with screenplay writer Eric Cabahug and film director Julius Alfonso about the sequel.

Screenplay writer’s thoughts

Eric Cabahug’s answer when asked why there is a sequel: “People are still asking for a sequel and I understand why they may want to spend more time with the beshies for life and death and beyond John (Jororss Gamboa) and Mark (Edgar Allan Guzman).

“I didn’t want to force it. I wanted a story to come to me organically, fluidly and it did just recently. I take it as the universe’s way of saying that this is the right time for it, after the film premiered on Netflix where it got even more views.

“Just to note, Deadma Walking was a certified Top 10 hit in the platform for its first 7 days of release last December, the only Filipino film to crack the list during the period. Not bad for a 7-year-old indie film that had zero promo except for two teaser videos from Netflix prior to its premiere,” Cabahug said.

“I think the ‘what if’ scenario of ‘what if I can hear what people have to say about me during my wake’ caught many people’s interest,” the screenplay writer explained about the clamor and curiosity about the film. “The unusually lighthearted and comedic treatment of the topic of death is what makes it resonate, plus the heartwarming if sometimes crazy story of true friendship shared by the characters of John and Mark added more color and feels to it.”

Cabahug added,“It has been the pinnacle of my screenwriting career thus far. It made me an ‘award-winning’ writer, with a total of four honors including a Palanca prize, and won me lots of fans,” he laughed.

What to expect from the sequel, Cabahug said: “It happens exactly right after the death of Mark and involves another plot twist that promises to be even more major than the one in the first film.”

Cabahug added that all characters from the first film are in this one, but there will be new cast members as well. “I hope that it happens next year, to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Palanca award that was key to the first film getting made.”

Director’s notes

“Initially, there was no plan at all for a sequel, not even a prequel. But there was a clamor for a follow-up to Deadma Walking. Through the years, our first venture developed some sort of a cult following,” said Alfonso. “Halfway through the pandemic era, our writer Eric Cabahug, creative producer Vanessa de Leon and I constantly discussed about it. A couple of months ago, while developing some other projects and concepts, we formally decided for this long-awaited and anticipated sequel.

“We are so excited about it. Throughout the brainstorming, we’ve come up with endless possibilities about the characters and the narrative.”

Alfonso added, “I believe that it brought something fresh and excitingly new for its genre. It has the right amount of comedy (without being ridiculous and farce) and drama (without being too sentimental). This dramedy brought relatability to its absurdity.”

Life-changing is how director Alfonso described his Deadma Walking experience: “It was officially my directorial debut. More blessings manifested right after. Less than a month after its release, I was offered to direct a teleserye for ABSCBN which was Sana Dalawa ang Puso and did some movies for cinema and streaming platforms, and some other projects for cable networks.”

What Alfonso assures the public, with regard to the sequel: “No spoiler here, but let us just say that generally, it’s all about some missing days in the story of Mark and John, and we’re not talking about flashbacks here.”

Alfonso was in agreement with Cabahug about who will be in the film’s sequel: “We will be bringing back the trio of Joross, EA and Dimples Romana, of course, plus some interesting and surprising characters.”

Wow! Just wow! A sequel of Deadma Walking is coming in the nearest future and as one of its fans, the excitement for it is something that I cannot contain. Looking forward to continuing saga and friendship of John and Mark, who are given by friends for real, Joross Gamboa and Edgar Allan Guzman.