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Ricky Lee's Ishmael Bernal feature film unveils star-studded cast, now in pre-production

Article (news)

Alyana De Guzman

Push Team

A feature film honoring the life and legacy of National Artist for Film Ishmael Bernal is officially moving into pre-production, with an ensemble of acclaimed actors set to portray some of Philippine cinema&#x27;s most celebrated personalities. The project, titled Bernal, was written by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee. It was announced on July 4 through a press release issued by Kahon Collective, Inc. and published by SINEGANG.ph. According to the press release, the upcoming film is &quot;based on the life and body of work&quot; of the acclaimed filmmaker and &quot;brings together the people who shaped Bernal&#x27;s film journey, from the actors he directed to the collaborators and family who surrounded him.&quot; Ishmael directed some of the country&#x27;s most influential films, including Himala, Manila by Night, Nunal sa Tubig, Relasyon, and Ikaw Ay Akin, among many others that cemented his place in Philippine film history. “Very excited ako na finally itong matagal ko nang binalak na material o script ay matutuloy na,” says Ricky as cited in the press release. <div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2FTripToQuiapo%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02SumD9bFLKxPDCxvnYWJu5FsjFRsWNaKdg7kuzyPk9v527SCmiEzWLfFNyaKXkuHfl&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=500" width="500" height="250" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Rather than following the traditional structure of a biographical film, Bernal combines &quot;biographical storytelling with magical realism.&quot; Three actors will portray Ishmael at different stages of his life, with Jericho Rosales confirmed as one of the key actors playing the renowned director. Speaking with Inquirer Entertainment, Ricky said that discussions are still ongoing for the remaining two actors, whose identities will be announced at a later date. He added that Jericho quickly emerged as his choice because of the actor&#x27;s dedication to his craft.“Noon pa man hanga na ako sa acting ni Jericho pero lalo pa akong hanga sa kanyang dedication. Importante sa artista hindi lang mahusay, kundi ’yung commitment. At kita ko sa kaniyang trabaho sa Quezon ang commitment niya,” he said. The film also boasts a star-studded supporting cast. Judy Ann Santos will portray National Artist of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts Nora Aunor and Elsa, her iconic character from Himala, while Atom Araullo will take on the role of Spanky Manikan and his character Orly from Himala. Iza Calzado has been cast as actress Rita Gomez, while John &quot;Sweet&quot; Lapus will portray actor Bernardo Bernardo, as confirmed by the press release.  Other legendary figures from the Second Golden Age of Philippine Cinema, including Vilma Santos, Eddie Garcia, Alma Moreno, Lorna Tolentino, and several artists who worked alongside Ishmael, will likewise appear in the film through performances by Chanda Romero, Lovi Poe, Shaina Magdayao, Agot Isidro, and more. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783305471969ricky-lee-ishmael-bernal-1783176025.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div>In his interview, Ricky shared that Bernal was the first screenplay he revisited after looking back at several unfinished projects from earlier in his career. “Ang usually nangyayari, may mga project na natutuloy, may mga project na hindi natutuloy, napapatabi muna. And this is one of those,” Ricky said. “Recently, nasa stage ako ng buhay and career ko, tinitignan ko lahat ’yung mga projects ko na natambak na hindi natuloy, so I came up with a list, and nangunguna sa listahan ’yung Bernal.”Writing the screenplay proved especially personal for Ricky, who counted Ishmael among his close friends. He explained: “Ang dami mong kailangan ibalanse, ’yung perception ko sa kaniya bilang kaibigan, then ’yung perception sa kaniya ng mga tao na nakatrabaho niya, and then ’yung perception sa kaniya ng mga tao na hindi siya nakatrabaho pero kilala siya bilang National Artist.&quot;  “Ang ginawa ko para maka-focus ako, ginawa ko na parang dun sa last hours ng buhay ni Ishmael Bernal, ’yung mga pumapasok sa isipan niya, ’yun ang pinuntahan ko,” the veteran playwright added. Ricky also revealed that the idea for the project originated from filmmaker Chris Martinez (Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, Kimmy Dora) who initially pitched a film centered on the making of Himala and was originally attached to direct it. However, as Ricky developed the screenplay, he felt the story had grown beyond a single film. “When I sat down and started writing it, parang masiyadong limitado. So ginawa kong mas hindi na nakafocus sa Himala lang. Binago ko na nagkaroon ng magic realism, stream of consciousness, kumbaga lumawak na siya, hindi na siya naging simple biopic lang,” he said. He later shared that both he and Chris eventually agreed another screenplay would be a better directorial project for the filmmaker. In a separate interview with PEP.ph, Ricky described Bernal as a passion project he created even before the COVID-19 pandemic.  “Hindi siya yung straightforward na biopic na parang biography. May magic realism siya,” he maintained. “It’s very fluid. Hindi siya chronological. It goes in and out, kasi nasa utak ni Ishmael Bernal, e. Hindi siya exactly realistic. Part ng theme iyong the director is everybody and can be everybody else.” <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783305437529Capture.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div>Reflecting on his longtime friendship with Ishmael even before they were both named National Artists, Ricky admitted it was bittersweet that the late filmmaker never witnessed his own national recognition.  “Yes, oo nga. And ang nakakalungkot lang, hindi ba, hindi niya inabutan. Hindi niya inabutan na makitang naging National Artist siya. I think the more reason why kailangang magawa yung pelikula tungkol sa buhay niya.&quot; The press release further noted that the film serves more than just a retelling of Ishmael&#x27;s life. &quot;More than a biographical film, Bernal is being produced as a cinematic tribute, not only to Ishmael Bernal, but also to the film industry and to the National Artists who shaped its history. Alongside Bernal, the film honors icons and National Artists including Ricky Lee, Nora Aunor, and Marilou Diaz-Abaya, all of whom appear as characters in the story,&quot; it wrote.  The project is being produced by Epicmedia together with Ricky&#x27;s Kahon Collective Inc., which continues to develop several of his long-awaited screenplays. Bernal, one of Ricky&#x27;s earliest completed but previously unproduced scripts, now officially moves toward pre-production. Dubbed as the &quot;genius of Philippine cinema,&quot; Ishmael passed away on June 2, 1996 due to a heart attack. He was declared National Artist for Film in 2001.   Apart from the film, Ricky is also preparing to release his newest book and screenwriting manual, &quot;Trip to Quiapo 2”, which is scheduled to launch during Cinemalaya 2026 and the Manila International Book Fair 2026.

The feature film about National Artist for Film Ishmael Bernal, written by National Artist Ricky Lee, is finally moving into pre-production, with Jericho Rosales, Judy Ann Santos, Atom Araullo, Iza Calzado, John "Sweet" Lapus, and more joining the ensemble cast.

The feature film about National Artist for Film Ishmael Bernal, written by National Artist Ricky Lee, is finally moving into pre-production, with Jericho Rosales, Judy Ann Santos, Atom Araullo, Iza Calzado, John "Sweet" Lapus, and more joining the ensemble cast.