Nelson Morales

Star-studded 'Incognito' promises to deliver cinematic action

Article (news)

Gretchen Fullido

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17371082724712025011710010_incog.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Daniel Padilla and Richard Gutierrez lead the star-studded cast of &#x27;Incognito.&#x27; Netflix"/>Daniel Padilla and Richard Gutierrez lead the star-studded cast of &#x27;Incognito.&#x27; Netflix </div>MANILA -- ABS-CBN&#x27;s &quot;Incognito&quot; is set to revolutionize the action drama genre with a stellar cast including Richard Gutierrez, Ian Veneracion, Baron Geisler, Maris Racal, Anthony Jennings, Kaila Estrada, and Daniel Padilla.Directed by Lester Pimentel Ong, the series promises a cinematic experience with intricate storytelling and high-octane sequences.Describing the ambitious scope of the series, Ong said: &quot;We were fortunate enough to shoot this series the way we would shoot a film. It&#x27;s like watching a movie every day. We elevated the way we shot the action and were given ample time to prepare, train, and shoot. This allowed us to create something truly world-class.&quot;Veneracion, a veteran in action roles, shared his mentoring experience: &quot;Sabi nga nila black and white pa lang nag-aaction na ako. We trained together with fire cars and guns, specific to our characters. I even trained in proper military procedures and tactics. It was a comprehensive preparation process, though Anthony was a bit challenging to train,&quot; he said, highlighting the camaraderie among the cast.For Padilla, &quot;Incognito&quot; presented a new level of physical and technical challenges. &quot;It was difficult because the action sequences were not just typical stunts. Shooting in locations like Madeira, Italy, required us to be precise and disciplined. The stunts were demanding, and we had to follow instructions closely, adding to the complexity,&quot; he said.Richard Gutierrez, meanwhile, spoke about the unique aspects of &quot;Incognito.&quot; &quot;Working with an ensemble cast was fantastic. This project is more military tactical operation style, something I&#x27;ve dreamed about for a long time. The challenge was consistent, especially during our first action scene as a group in Palawan under harsh weather conditions. But the outcome was rewarding, and it forged a strong camaraderie among us,&quot; he said.An excited Estrada admitted that &quot;this genre has been a dream of mine since I started in showbiz. &#x27;Incognito&#x27; allowed me to manifest that dream. Shooting our first scene running in the sand while in full gear was tough. I was so exhausted, they called me &#x27;Sadness&#x27; because I looked like the character from &#x27;Inside Out&#x27; after the scene. Hulas na hulas daw ako. But it was an exhilarating experience.&quot;Geisler, known for his kontrabida roles, found new ground as a &quot;sniper-doctor.&quot; &quot;This role has been the most challenging yet rewarding of my career. I relate to my character Miguel Tucson, who must be dependable despite personal struggles. This resonates with me deeply, and on set, I give my 200%,&quot; he said.Racal brings linguistic diversity to her character: &quot;What I love about my role is that she speaks multiple languages. It&#x27;s exciting for me because I enjoy roles that require learning new skills. So far, I’ve tackled Italian, and I hope to learn more languages as the series progresses,&quot; she said.Jennings humorously discussed his physical preparation: &quot;I’ve stopped eating rice, and we all trained in Muay Thai. My body fluctuates, I easily get skinny, so maintaining my physique is a challenge, so I need to eat more to beef up and hopefully, by the end of the show, I’ll have some muscles to show,&quot; he saoid.As the cast anticipates what lies ahead in 2025, their dedication to &quot;Incognito&quot; is clear. &quot;I’m just excited for &#x27;Incognito&#x27; to be seen by everyone. As for 2024, I’ll let it all go and focus on what’s ahead,&quot; Padilla said.Gutierrez echoed this sentiment: &quot;We&#x27;re focused on making this project successful. Our efforts are all geared towards ensuring &#x27;Incognito&#x27; is a hit.&quot;Racal added: &quot;We’re locked in to complete the mission, no pun intended. What I’m leaving in 2024? Basta I’m more focused on personal growth talaga and embracing new challenges. Moving into 2025, the aim is to achieve more and see what this series brings for me in the future.Jennings teased that there would be more excited places they would showcase in “Incognito. Moving forward, Jennings said he wants to start fresh this 2025. “Basta, kalimutan lahat ng nangyari at focus tayo ngayon sa Incognito.”Geisler concluded: &quot;We move as a team, finish as a team, and aim to create beautiful memories together.&quot;&quot;Incognito&quot; will be available for streaming on Netflix starting January 17, with a later release on Kapamilya platforms including iWantTFC on January 18, and Kapamilya Channel, Jeepney TV, TV5, and A2Z on January 20.

ABS-CBN's 'Incognito' is set to revolutionize the action drama genre with a stellar cast including Richard Gutierrez, Ian Veneracion, Baron Geisler, Maris Racal, Anthony Jennings, Kaila Estrada, and Daniel Padilla.

ABS-CBN's 'Incognito' is set to revolutionize the action drama genre with a stellar cast including Richard Gutierrez, Ian Veneracion, Baron Geisler, Maris Racal, Anthony Jennings, Kaila Estrada, and Daniel Padilla.