MANILA, Philippines — History will repeat itself as the movies in the “Bayaniverse” franchise are coming back to select cinemas for the last week of March.
SM Cinemas announced that “Heneral Luna,” “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral,” and “Quezon” will screen in its Mall of Asia, North Edsa, and Fairview branches from March 25 to 31.
Tickets to each movie will only cost P150 — more than half the price of a regular movie ticket — with P5 from each ticket sold going to efforts building public school classrooms nationwide.
“History hits different on the big screen,” teased the cinema exhibitor on social media. “Experience the powerful stories of the heroes who shaped our nation.”
The exhibitor previously screened the extended versions of the first two “Lord of the Rings” movies in select branches also at discounted rates.
SM Cinemas also joined other exhibitors in screening Viva Films’ “The Loved One” in theaters at reduced ticket prices and the movie still managed to earn P275 million at the box office. Viva repeated the effort for their next film “A Special Memory.”
The “Bayaniverse” of TBA Studios is a series of films, all of them directed by Jerrold Tarog, centering on key figures in Philippines history — Antonio Luna, Gregorio del Pilar, and Manuel Quezon.
The John Arcilla-starrer “Heneral Luna” started the trilogy of “Bayaniverse” films when it was received to positive reviews and box-office returns in 2015.
Three years later in 2018, “Goyo” features Paulo Avelino as the young general Emilio Aguinaldo, and last year’s “Quezon” featured Jericho Rosales as the titular second president of the Philippines.
A mid-credits scene in “Quezon” teased a radio playing the “Magsaysay Mambo,” the campaign jingle of Ramon Magsaysay when he ran for president in 1953.
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