Hotspot: Find out why Ria, Arjo described Cattleya Killer as “thought-provoking,” “different”

A year after the production of the much-awaited international psychological thriller “Cattleya Killer” wrapped up, everyone is finally going to see it on June 1, as it premieres on Prime Video. And while we’re all anticipating it, two of its stars, real-life siblings Arjo and Ria Atayde, graced the latest episode of Hotspot streamed on Thursday, May 11.

Host DJ Jhai Ho commenced it with a short kumustahan, wherein the siblings impart the things that have been keeping them occupied nowadays. As both of them are both busy promoting their first-ever project together, Ria is also working on another job that she refused to reveal yet and, at the same time appearing in other Kapamilya shows. Arjo, on the other hand, has a pretty hectic schedule as he juggles his showbiz, political, and personal commitments.

When asked what they feel about the upcoming debut of “Cattleya Killer,” the siblings both expressed their excitement, especially that they’ve been waiting for it for exactly a year now. Besides, Ria disclosed that they actually haven’t seen any scene yet, which adds up to the thrill that they are feeling.

The same goes to Arjo, who got to see a bit of it when it was premiered at the MIPCOM Cannes 2022, which is considered the largest content market in the world. It was through this event that they were able to secure a global distribution partner in Amazon Prime.

While many of us surely have an inkling on what “Cattleya Killer” is all about, Arjo expounded that it follows the story of his character Anton Dela Rosa, a passionate and accomplished policeman to whom the case of the “Cattleya Killer” would be entrusted. As the investigations go on and the narrative unfolds, he’s going to uncover a lot of things, including the connection of the series of murders to the gruesome happenings that occurred more than two decades ago in the 1996 flick “Sa Aking Mga Kamay” topbilled by Aga Muhlach. On the other hand, Ria will play Micah Tapales, a newspaper writer in the police beat before, who’s curiosity got her figured in the case without her intending to.

With regards to the preparations they did for “Cattleya Killer,” Ria, who was also working for the iWantTFC original series “Misis Piggy” alongside their mom Sylvia Sanchez, shared that they actually didn’t have the luxury of time to fully prepare for their roles in the series. They simply just got in the zone and it also helped that everyone on the set were on the same page and share the same mindset of getting this done.

The filming of “Cattleya Killer” might have coincided with the campaigns for the 2022 national elections, but Arjo was still able to find time to prepare for it. Part of his preparations was watching movies, documentaries, and interviews on YouTube that could give him further insight about his character. At the same time, their executive producer Ruel S. Bayani and director Dan Villegas, along with the other members of the production, were able to help him build and portray his role well.

While both of them are in this series, Ria revealed that they actually didn’t have much scenes together. However, being able to see and bond with each other going home after a hard day’s work is already enough for them to show their support to one another – to which Arjo agreed.

When it comes to their most unforgettable scenes that they did, both of them initially had a difficult time choosing which one. But Ria went for her thrilling running scene in which she gave her all, while Arjo opted for the long scene that she shared with co-stars Jake Cuenca and Jane Oineza. She then shared how their set-up was completely different and almost all of the scenes were done in one take. Thus, they had to be on their toes all the time, know the script so well, and navigate through the emotions of their characters.

Apart from the promising narrative, everyone is also in awe of its powerhouse cast, which also includes veteran actors Zsa Zsa Padilla, Christopher de Leon, Ricky Davao, Jojit Lorenzo, Nonie Buencamino, and Joel Saracho. Arjo also took the opportunity to express his gratitude to Christopher, who was also part of the 90s movie “Sa Aking Mga Kamay”.

“Si Tito Christopher de Leon, I just want to add, we’re so thankful for him kasi imagine coming from the original movie to present time, he’s here with us. Sobrang thankful namin sa kanya dahil he really accepted the project and he’s here with us. We feel very honored. Sobrang dali niya katrabaho, we love working with him,” he stated. Then Ria added, “All of them, we learned so much from them and we enjoyed a lot with them.”

The siblings then weren’t able to find the words that would exactly describe their experience working with Direk Dan, with Ria simply conveying how she would love to work with him over and over again. It’s because she knows how he would help him further hone their acting chops as a director.

“Actor’s director din siya e, as much as he’s a technical director. He speaks our language, alam niya kung paano kami pigain. Saka coming into it, sobrang galing. I was so impressed…that we have character guides na sobrang in-depth, detailed, may zodiac sign each character. He did so well, he studied the script so much, that it showed,” Ria related. She’s also delighted that Direk Dan was not only boxed in his ideas, but he is also open to their suggestions or opinions – making it a truly remarkable experience.

Arjo then went on to impart how those character guides the award-winning filmmaker had prepared for them really made their jobs a tad easier. It made them extra ready whenever they step on the set, as well as connect more with their characters. He commended him for being a smart director who knows what he wants and for the brilliant shots they’re able to capture. Thus, all the cast members are arguably looking forward to work with him again.

When asked to describe “Cattleya Killer” in one word, Ria said that it’s “thought-provoking” as it opened the idea of nature versus nurture for her. Arjo, meanwhile, tagged it as “different” because of how it made them feel while working on it and how different it is from the other series that they’d done or we’ve already seen.