A year after announcing the ambitious project, The Philippines ABS-CBN is now in production on new series “The Bagman.” Filming began in Manila on Feb. 25.
“The Bagman” is a spin-off from the original, locally-produced digital series “Bagman” that was aimed at the Filipino audience. The new series is intended as an international co-production. The Philippines companies already on board include ABS-CBN International Productions, Nathan Studios, Rein Entertainment and Dreamscape Entertainment.
The announcement was made by Ruel S. Bayani, head of ABS-CBN’s international productions division, and who will be attending FilMart, long with Tanya Bautista, creative producer of the show and Lea Dizon, ABS-CBN’s Los Angeles-based development executive.
“ABS-CBN’s track record as a storyteller and content creator is one of our key assets that makes us a solid partner in international co-productions, as seen in our growing slate of global titles. As a pioneer and leader in globalizing Filipino content this show further strengthens our position in advocating for Filipino representation in today’s global marketplace,” said Bayani. “With the phenomenal cast now complete, coupled with the recent start of production, we have no doubt ‘The Bagman’ will be a hit among buyers and co-production companies in Hong Kong.”
“The Bagman” stars Arjo Atayde, reprising his character Benjo Malaya from the original “Bagman” series, a role that won him the 2020 Asian Academy Creative Awards best actor prize. The series also stars John Arcilla (“On the Job 2: The Missing 8,” “The Bourne Legacy”) and Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo (“Mindanao”).
The show will be structured as a series with eight episodes, each of one hour
The original digital series, “Bagman 1 and 2,” which sold to Netflix Philippines, follows the story of Benjo Malaya, a neighborhood barber who landed a job as the governor’s henchman and gets caught up in a dangerous web of crime, corruption, and political turmoil.
In the new “The Bagman” series Malaya, now a convicted prisoner and former governor, learns tragic news about his missing family. He is left with no choice but to return to the vicious underworld that he turned his back on. He takes on a new mission, this time, as a bagman for the sitting president of the Republic of the Philippines to stop an impending civil war.
