Even Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. is stunned by the huge success of Ang Panday at the recently concluded 35th Metro Manila Film Festival.
The film—a modern adaptation of the iconic Filipino comic strip character written by Carlo J. Caparas and illustrated by Steve Gan—was originally portrayed and popularized in film by the late action superstar Fernando Poe Jr. in the '80s.
FPJ's close association with the Panday trademark prompted Bong to dedicate the project to Da King, saying that his version is a tribute to Poe's legacy both in Philippine Cinema and pop culture in general.
The public's reaction to Bong's version definitely proves that the Panday magic has not faded. When the final revenue tally was revealed at the festival's closing, Ang Panday raked in a staggering P99.4 million after two weeks to claim the top spot over its six festival rivals.
At the special thanksgiving party tendered by the production team last January 8 at Annabel's restaurant in Quezon City, Bong proudly announced that the film was given a permit to extend its cinema run until February 8.
"By today, I'm sure lagpas na tayong P100 million," Bong said confidently. As early as now, he is already preparing for the film's sequel.
Though there was a slight confusion during the first week of the MMFF concerning the number 1 and 2 spots, Ang Panday maintained its strong showing, enough to be named as this year's official top grosser.
In Bong's opinion, the quality of the project, particularly on the technical side, was the main reason the film managed to sustain its lead over the other entries.
Buoyed up and obviously inspired, Bong and his team revealed their plan to do a sequel in time for the 36th MMFF.
"May mga in-charge na dito sa Panday para ayusin na nila lahat," Bong revealed. "'Yon ang aim namin ngayon, kung hindi man namin pantayan, lagpasan dahil sabi nga, itong Panday is my best film sa dami ng pelikulang nagawa ko. So ang challenge sa amin kung paano lalagpasan ito, kaya tingnan natin kung kakayanin."