Erik Matti confirms ‘Darna’ movie has found its Valentina, but . . .

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/entertainment/03/08/liza-darna-030818.jpg"/><figcaption>&quot;Darna&quot; star Liza Soberano poses beside a life-size depiction of the &quot;komiks&quot; icon at ToyCon Philippines 2017.<em> Star Cinema</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>The cast of &quot;Darna&quot; is complete, the film&#x27;s director has confirmed.</p><p>Among the roles that have been cast are Ding, Narda&#x27;s brother and sidekick; and Valentina, the snake-haired villain, according to Push, citing filmmaker Erik Matti.</p><p>&quot;Kumpleto na ang cast. Hindi ko lang puwedeng i-reveal,&quot; Matti was quoted to have said.</p><p>Producer Star Cinema introduced Liza Soberano would play the titular superhero in May 2017; no further cast members have been announced since.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjCsGwhg2Y2/?utm_source=ig_embed" data-instgrm-version="9" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:8px"><div style="background:#F8F8F8;line-height:0;margin-top:40px;padding:50.0% 0;text-align:center;width:100%"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);display:block;height:44px;margin:0 auto -44px;position:relative;top:-22px;width:44px"> </div></div><div style="margin:8px 0 0 0;padding:0 4px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjCsGwhg2Y2/?utm_source=ig_embed" style="color:#000;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none;word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">#theprojectthatshouldnotbenamedyet Photo by: @catsiroll</a></div><p style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erikmatti/?utm_source=ig_embed" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px" target="_blank"> erikmatti</a> (@erikmatti) on <time dateTime="2018-05-21T13:58:55+00:00" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px">May 21, 2018 at 6:58am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><div><script async="" defer="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Rumors about the casting, however, have surfaced time and again. Notably, &quot;BuyBust&quot; star Anne Curtis has repeatedly been linked to the Valentina role.</p><p>Curtis acknowledged hearing the rumor in May. While she clarified she has not been offered the part, Curtis said she is keen to take on a Ravelo villain this time, after she portrayed the lovelorn mermaid Dyesebel in ABS-CBN&#x27;s 2014 teleserye.</p><p>Asked at the time if she particularly wants to to portray Valentina, she answered: &quot;If given the opportunity, I would love to.&quot;</p><p>Showbiz newcomer Tony Labrusca has similarly been rumored to be part of &quot;Darna.&quot; While he isn&#x27;t officially attached to the project, Soberano did confirm in March that Labrusca was &quot;one of the options.&quot;</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh6k6SZg0g7/?utm_source=ig_embed" data-instgrm-version="9" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:8px"><div style="background:#F8F8F8;line-height:0;margin-top:40px;padding:50.0% 0;text-align:center;width:100%"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);display:block;height:44px;margin:0 auto -44px;position:relative;top:-22px;width:44px"> </div></div><div style="margin:8px 0 0 0;padding:0 4px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh6k6SZg0g7/?utm_source=ig_embed" style="color:#000;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none;word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">Bumped into this pretty girl. @lizasoberano I saw the future that you are going to be in a superhero movie #theprojectthatshouldnotbenamedyet</a></div><p style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erikmatti/?utm_source=ig_embed" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px" target="_blank"> erikmatti</a> (@erikmatti) on <time dateTime="2018-04-23T13:50:44+00:00" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px">Apr 23, 2018 at 6:50am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><div><script async="" defer="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Aside from the casting, several other details of &quot;Darna&quot; have also been finalized, according to Matti. In particular, Soberano&#x27;s costume as Darna has long been settled, he told Push.</p><p>In previous interviews, Matti described the new outfit as fitting for a warrior, and &quot;more of utilitarian.&quot; Despite these changes, the director said, in this latest interview, that its appearance won&#x27;t be much of a departure from the iconic look of Darna.</p><p>&quot;Hindi naman puwedeng iba &#x27;yung costume niya sa dating Darna,&quot; he hinted.</p><p>Matti described the scale of &quot;Darna&quot; as &quot;five times bigger than &#x27;BuyBust,&#x27; &quot; his recently released action flick starring Curtis, which has earned raves locally and internationally.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjqp480hjsY/?utm_source=ig_embed" data-instgrm-version="9" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:8px"><div style="background:#F8F8F8;line-height:0;margin-top:40px;padding:50% 0;text-align:center;width:100%"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);display:block;height:44px;margin:0 auto -44px;position:relative;top:-22px;width:44px"> </div></div><div style="margin:8px 0 0 0;padding:0 4px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjqp480hjsY/?utm_source=ig_embed" style="color:#000;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none;word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you. #DarnaTraining</a></div><p style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lizasoberano/?utm_source=ig_embed" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px" target="_blank"> Liza Soberano</a> (@lizasoberano) on <time dateTime="2018-06-06T02:29:11+00:00" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px">Jun 5, 2018 at 7:29pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><div><script async="" defer="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>&quot;Lahat, &#x27;yung size, &#x27;yung scale, &#x27;yung bigat ng pelikula, &#x27;yung laki ng pelikula. Adventure kasi &#x27;yon. May action ka, may CG ka. Sa &#x27;Darna,&#x27; I want to do it right,&quot; he said.</p><p>Matti also expressed confidence in the capability of Soberano, in response to detractors calling the 20-year-old &quot;malamya,&quot; or weak-looking.</p><p>&quot;Sobrang bigay todo siya sa shooting. Lahat ginagawa niya. Kailangan niyang mag-tone, magka-muscle kaya diretso &#x27;yung naging training niya,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Lahat &#x27;yan may opinion, lahat yan magsasabi, &#x27;Ay, pangit, ganito, lampa.&#x27; Eh, opinyon nila &#x27;yon. Hintayin muna nila &#x27;yung pelikula,&quot; Matti added.</p>

<p>Anne Curtis has repeatedly been linked to the role of the villain, but clarified she has not been offered the part.</p>

Anne Curtis has repeatedly been linked to the role of the villain, but clarified she has not been offered the part.