TBA Studios previously announced its preparations for the filming of historical movie “Quezon,” which will center on the life of former Philippine president Manuel L. Quezon.
To amp up viewers’ excitement for the forthcoming film, the production company revealed that actor Jericho Rosales will give life to Quezon, the president of the Philippine Commonwealth from 1935 to 1944.
“Quezon” will mark Rosales’s return to the big screen, following the romantic comedy film “The Girl in the Orange Dress” in 2018.
In a press statement, the 45-year-old actor said he felt “so honored” to lead the cast of the biopic. The movie, he shared, will not showcase Quezon as a “hero” but as a “cunning,” “charming,” and “intelligent” person that he was.
“Quezon is such an interesting character to play; there are so many things I can put into the role to build Quezon as a character. That adds to the pressure, but at the same time I am very excited,” Rosales expressed.
Jerrold Tarrog, the biopic’s director and co-writer, said they picked Rosales for the titular role because of “the power he is known to deliver on screen.” He said it was the “same power” the actor exhibited when he auditioned for the role of General Antonio Luna in the historical biopic “Heneral Luna,” which was given to veteran actor John Arcilla.
“Jericho’s unbelievable screen presence has made him one of our best actors today, and we’re all looking forward to working with him and seeing how his artistry can give life to one of the country’s most charismatic yet divisive political figures,” said TBA Studios President and COO Daphne Chiu.
Other cast members
The biopic will also feature actors Mon Confiado and Benjamin Alves, who will reprise their roles from the films “Heneral Luna” and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral.” Confiado portrays the Philippines’s first president Emilio Aguinaldo, while Alves plays the role of the younger Quezon.
“Quezon” will also show Karylle Yuzon as Quezon’s wife Aurora; Romnick Sarmenta as Sergio Osmeña, the vice president under Quezon’s administration; and JC Santos as Manuel Roxas, who later became the country’s fifth president.
They will be joined by Cris Villanueva, who will portray the older Joven Hernando. He is the only fictional character in the biopic.
More cast members will be announced soon, said Chiu.
‘Bayaniverse’ series
“Quezon” is part of TBA Studios’s “Bayaniverse,” a series of films based on Philippine history. Prior to Quezon’s biopic, the production company released box office hits “Heneral Luna” in 2015 and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral” in 2018. Both films were helmed by Tarog.
“Heneral Luna” takes place during the early phases of the Philippine-American War, where Luna led the Philippine Revolutionary Army. The army general, however, was assassinated in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija in 1899 by fellow Filipino soldiers believed to be Aguinaldo’s men.
“Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral” happens after Luna’s bloody death, with Goyo, played by Paulo Avelino, mandated to hunt down the general’s loyalists who have been charged with treason.
Meanwhile, filming for “Quezon” will begin in March 2025.
