COMIC book hero Totoy Bato, created by comic book artist and film director Carlo J. Caparas, (and brought to life by Fernando Poe, Jr. [FPJ] in a 1970s action film adaptation) will be back in the limelight through a new teleserye, titled Totoy Bato.
“The real challenge is to set this apart from Lumuhod Ka Sa Lupa [another Caparas story that TV5 has just finished adapting into a series]. ‘Yong bida namin doon, kasama ang ibang aktor, tumawid dito (Our lead there, with some of the other actors, are also in this one),” Albert Langitan, director of Totoy Bato, said at a media conference at the TV5 studios in Mandaluyong on April 28.
“Lumuhod was a revenge story, while Totoy is a hero’s journey. May konsepto ng paghihiganti, pero nandito rin kung paano ginagampanan ang tungkulin sa komunidad bilang isang bayani (The concept of revenge is here, but also the responsibility of being the hero of a community). It’s very timely,” Mr. Langitan added.
Totoy Bato follows the titular character (played by Kiko Estrada), a defiant protector of his small town of Pook Paraiso. He uses his kamao (fist) and unshakable heart to face powerful enemies. Alongside him are unlikely allies: Emerald Espejo (played by Bea Binene) a childhood friend who leads a secret life; Amber Castillo (played by Cindy Miranda), an ambitious daughter of the rival Castillo family; and Dwayne Perez (played by Diego Loyzaga), another childhood friend-turned-archenemy.
The cast features a roster of veteran actors like Nonie Buencamino, Art Acuña, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Mon Confiado, and Eula Valdez. Completing the lineup are Andrew Muhlach, Billy Villeta, Ivan Padilla, Lester Llansang, Benz Sangalang, and CJ Caparas.
Mr. Estrada told the press that the pressure of evoking the star power of FPJ in the role is inevitable.
“This is a collaborative effort. Our motto is to do simple things extraordinarily well. This is also my first project that has something to do with my lolo (grandfather) Paquito [Diaz],” he said.
The late Mr. Diaz played an antagonist role in the 1977 adaptation of Totoy Bato that starred FPJ. Mr. Estrada explained: “Hindi ako aarte kung hindi dahil sa lolo ko (I wouldn’t be an actor if it weren’t for my grandfather). This is different because it’s our version, but of course we respect where we came from.”
For Peach Caparas, daughter of Carlo J. Caparas, it is an honor for the family to witness “the enthusiasm and dedication of the team” to once again adapt her father’s first-ever fictional hero.
“I think initially they tried to stick to the movies, but they’re incorporating lots of original material from the comics,” she shared.
Ms. Binene, whose role as Totoy’s friend Emerald whom he reconnects with after years apart, said that her bubbly character will be motivated to “seek out the truth” throughout the course of the series.
“Some fight scenes take two or three days to film because we really want to do it well,” she said. “My last teleserye was still pre-pandemic, so it’s a huge blessing to be back after a while.”
It is unclear whether her character will be a love interest for Mr. Estrada’s Totoy, but she told the press to stay tuned to find out.
Meanwhile, Mr. Acuña, who plays the antagonist Don Pedro Perez, said that there is no black and white in Totoy Bato.
“Everybody is fractured here. That’s what we’re going to discover. Tao lang ‘tong mga ‘to (These are all just people),” he explained. “You never know why someone does something good or bad. Sometimes they’re doing an act of kindness because they’re making up for something, for atonement.”
The TV5 action-drama series is produced by MavenPro and Sari Sari Network, Inc., under Studio Viva. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.
Totoy Bato premieres on TV5 on May 5 at 7:15 p.m., with same-day catch-ups on the Sari Sari Channel at 8 p.m. It will air Mondays to Fridays. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
