Lovi Poe is making bold moves to elevate Filipino storytelling on a global scale through her production company, C’est Lovi Productions, and its latest film, The Sacrifice. This horror-thriller, inspired by Filipino mythology, brings together a powerhouse ensemble of local and international talents—including two foreign actors, Timothy Granaderos (13 Reasons Why) and Louie Chapman; acclaimed filmmaker Lav Diaz; and Filipino stars Enchong Dee, Tommy Alejandrino, and Pokwang.
Championing Filipino stories for a global audience
“We are so excited to share this project of ours. Well, basically C’est Lovi Production’s main goal is to highlight Filipino stories [and] talent in a more global scale,” Lovi shared during the story conference for The Sacrifice.
“I think the best way to honor our culture is through storytelling. And I’m so excited that we have assembled the best team possible. I mean, I’m surrounded by such an amazing cast and crew and I’m truly grateful of having everyone here,” she continued.
A dream come true: working with Timothy Granaderos
Filipino-American actor Timothy Granaderos, known for his role in 13 Reasons Why, is joining the cast. Lovi shared that collaborating with him had long been a dream.
“We are very lucky because, you know what we want to do is of course bring Filipinos at heart back to our country. And so I’m a huge fan of ’13 Reasons Why’ and ever since I’ve watched Timothy, I was like ‘I want to work with him one day.’ And here it is, the dream come true. Timothy Granaderos from ’13 Reasons Why.”
Granaderos, whose Filipino heritage plays a key role in his casting, spoke of how personal the project feels for him.
“Honestly… I’ve just been on kind of a quest to for me it’s to get closer to my roots being half Filipino, being ‘hapa’. So, I’d say for the past five or six years, I’ve made it my goal to just connect with who I am as a Filipino,” he said. “Once I got call from Lovi… I was very excited. I’ve just been waiting to visit The Philippines. I’m so happy to finally be here.”
Joining Granaderos is actor Louie Chapman, who expressed his enthusiasm for the project.
“Everything has been lovely since I’ve been here… The script is really cool. There’s a lot of twists and turns that happened that will keep you on the edge of your seat, for sure. And I’m so excited. Everything that we’ve seen so far has been like really awesome.”
Lav Diaz joins the cast—Not as director
Another highlight of the casting is the inclusion of acclaimed director Lav Diaz, who joins the project not as a director but as part of the cast. Known for his internationally acclaimed films and contributions to Philippine cinema, Diaz brings prestige to the ensemble.
“This man doesn’t need any introduction at all. I mean, just to have him like right next to me, nanginginig ako. I’m shaking,” Lovi said. “He doesn’t need any introduction and he’s part of our cast—Direk Lav Diaz.”
When asked how they convinced Diaz to join as an actor, Lovi quipped, “Maraming dasal.”
Diaz, whose most recent acting role was in ‘Gulay Lang Manong‘, shared, “Umaarte naman talaga ako. College [ako], nagti-teatro [theater] na ako… Magandang umarte e. Marami kang nagagawa.”
Strengthening the cast: Enchong Dee and Tommy Alejandrino
Joining Lovi Poe in The Sacrifice are actors Enchong Dee and Tommy Alejandrino, both bringing their unique energy to the ensemble.
Enchong expressed his excitement about the opportunity, especially with the chance to work alongside new collaborators.
“Honestly, I’m really excited… I’ve always wanted to experience different production, different directors, different processes of my co-actors. That’s why I’m so excited because… these are all first-time experiences for me. I’ve never worked with them and I wanted to see and observe how they create their characters and do their processes.”
He admitted being starstruck by Lav Diaz. “Even Direk Lav, actually sobra akong nai-starstruck. Meron akong… like a hidden shield of like: I want to be close but not yet.”
Enchong continued, “I’m really hoping that it will turn out the way C’est Lovi envision it. Because she’s [Lovi] right, this is a story where we can share to the whole world and give a little taste of the Filipino culture, especially the Filipino mythology.”
When asked about his other commitments, including hosting Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition, Enchong said, “Tinanggal ko po lahat ng commitment ko para [dito].” He continued, “Nasa punto rin ako ng buhay ko na gusto ko talagang gumawa ng pelikula. And noong dumating ’to sabi ko, ‘This is my first film for the year and I just want to go there and start shooting it.’”
A horror-thriller inspired by Filipino mythology
Lovi emphasized that their mission was to tell authentic Filipino stories, and the best way to do that was by drawing from local folklore and mythology. Once they found the right script, things began to come together.
The Sacrifice, directed by Prime Cruz, follows a group of vloggers—some of whom are foreigners—who travel to a mysterious province in the Philippines, only to encounter supernatural forces rooted in Filipino myths.
“They’re going to come in as foreigners visiting the Philippines. But of course, Timothy as half Filipino as well. So, we’re going to come here as vloggers entering this mystical place… It is a horror thriller film, Filipino mythology as well,” Lovi said.
With a powerful cast and an innovative approach to Filipino storytelling, The Sacrifice has begun production and will soon be released.
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