Reality MM Studios’ Monteverde, Matti bare projects for int’l streamers
Director Erik Matti and producer Dondon Monteverde, the dynamic duo behind Reality MM Studios, are busier than ever doing and developing projects for international streamers.
During a recent interview at their Makati office, Matti revealed that it was after the 2021 release of his mini-series On The Job as an HBO Asia Original that their production outfit started getting a lot of interest from different streaming services.
“Right now, Reality MM is doing a few projects for HBO, Netflix and even for Disney, (and) developing projects for international companies,” Matti confirmed.
“Rather than tightening our belts after the pandemic, we feel that now is the right time to push it further, to do more ambitious work, para makita mo talaga na bumubuhay talaga (ang) industriya. Siyempre, ayaw natin na parang… relax-relax lang,” he added.
Specific projects for streaming platforms that they’re allowed to officially announce include Season 2 of On The Job for HBO. The production starts filming in April next year and is set to bring back some of the old characters.
Another confirmed project, also for HBO, is the Filipino adaptation of the French comedy-drama series Call My Agent with Angel Locsin and Edu Manzano.
Though they were tightlipped about other projects due to non-disclosure agreements, Matti and Monteverde, nevertheless, confirmed that they are working or collaborating on a Korean production to be shot entirely in South Korea, as well as a co-production with a Korean company to do a Filipino version of a hit Korean movie.
They didn’t mention if these were for a streaming service, but Monteverde pointed out, “We are not only shooting in Korea, we also have UK and US, may project kami dinidevelop right now.”
The UK project that Reality MM is developing is for a major streamer, which they couldn’t name yet. Nevertheless, Matti dished some details, saying: “It will be done in London, but it’s a Filipino story, it’s a series. For that to be shot entirely in London na yung sensibility mga Pinoy, we’re looking at going to London for research on it and probably, get a counterpart British writer for the British characters surrounding the series.”
The American story they’re developing will be filmed both in the US and the Philippines. Matti further shared, “We’re having tie-ups as well with a few agents and producers in the US (in) developing two projects. One project will involve Danao, Cebu with, again, foreign characters in it. Another project, which will be shot in Palawan, it’s like a hostage series with supernatural elements.”
Their lineup of projects is a combination of original IPs and adaptations of existing works. “So, the direction we’re looking at — how the international streamers think, it’s really hard to come up with original content because it needs good assurance that it can work. But we’re lucky that we have something like On The Job that is truly Filipino and is being embraced continuously in HBO to continue as a series,” said Matti.
“The London one is an original IP through and through. I think, it’s the most nationalistic, patriotic story we could come up about the Filipino diaspora,” added the filmmaker who described the project as an OFW series “that is fun, exciting, thrilling because it’s a thriller idea but medyo light.”
“We’re just lucky because ang hirap magbenta ng original idea. And for those projects to be green lighted for further production, ang laking bagay nun sa atin sa Pilipinas,” he stressed.
Besides original IPs, they work with existing IPs that they feel are “perfect” for the Filipino taste and sensibility.
Case in point is Call My Agent, one of Matti and Monteverde’s favorite shows that’s streaming on Netflix. Adapting the series will afford them the chance to tell a story, or stories, about the world of Philippine showbiz, from the “darker, serious stories, to the funny and heartwarming ones.”
“This one, we’re remaking it on HBO, we pitched it to HBO. Kasi ang showbiz natin, ‘di katulad ng French. We’re chaotic, magulo and ang kwento natin weird na parang matatawa ka nalang. So, that’s the tone we’re going for. We’re not copying the French series, we’re localizing it,” Matti said.
Besides the mentioned projects in various stages of development, Monteverde also noted the finished ones. “We finished a project shot entirely in New Zealand, Run Away (starring Maureen Wroblewitz and some New Zealand artists). We worked with the Tourism Board of New Zealand,” he said.
“We also worked on one Korean project na tapos na, the title is Ultimate Oppa (with Bela Padilla),” Monteverde said of the project considered to be their first “synergy” with Korean counterparts.
At the moment, Monteverde said, they’re trying to “mix and match” and “learn how Koreans do it” and vice-versa. “The keyword there is synergy among industry people, not only in the Philippines but also abroad. Right now, closest to home is Korea because of the Korean wave. Rest assured that it just won’t be Korea.”
Amid these new developments with the company and in the entertainment landscape in general, they have enlisted “young blood” to help their cause, said Monteverde. They have signed up new directors, namely, Joey de Guzman, Dean Marcial, Kerwin Go, Siege Ledesma and Kip Oebanda.
“Our landscape has changed, as well as our cinema set-up. Showbiz has changed, so kami rin feeling namin, we have to evolve, we need to look into a future that may be different from how we actually thought of before the pandemic. And right after On The Job, I think we started getting a lot of interest from international streamers,” Matti said.
“I think more than just me doing the projects, it’s about time we start bringing the Filipino talent out there to the global stage. We’re looking at all these directors who are like-minded… We brought together these five filmmakers to help us into the future of cinema and of content.”
When asked if creating content for international release is going to be the direction of Reality MM Studios from hereon, Matti said, “Of course, ang wish namin talaga is to develop the audience for Philippine cinema but for now, it’s been stalled…
“But straight from the pandemic, the only interest we’re getting (is from) the international streamers and what’s more exciting is to be able to tell longer stories, bigger stories, on a bigger platform, on the world stage. Medyo ibang ground bini-break mo but it’s exciting because it’s something new for us.”
As for Reality MM Studios’ return to local cinemas, Matti said, “Our first love is really making movies, but it’s just that now, it’s not lucrative, nothing is happening. But we really want the confidence of the cinemas back for the Filipino movies.
“Right now, ang confidence nila are with the top brands. So, we’re really thinking that to go back to the cinemas, we can’t do small movies, yung parang, let’s minimize the risk because ‘di natin alam kung may manonood. The way you go back to the cinemas because of the competition with Hollywood is to do a really big movie for all ages, popcorn, eye candy, so we will all be excited again to go back to the cinemas and see something Filipino. That’s for us, pero madali lang ‘yun sabihin.”
Still, they already have a movie in mind for theatrical release and are just pulling the money for development because “it’s going to be big.”
“It’s not gonna be easy. I think the development, not even the script yet, the visual design of the concept will probably take half a year,” said Matti.