October 9, 2025 | 10:00am
MANILA, Philippines — “Quezon” is expected to be the last entry in TBA Studios’ “Bayaniverse” franchise as it briefly chronicles the life of the Philippines’ second president, Manuel L. Quezon, portrayed by Jericho Rosales.
During the press conference for the film last October 7 at the historic Manila Hotel, Rosales, director Jerrold Tarog, and producer Daphne Chiu were asked about the challenges of shooting “Quezon.”
Chiu began by answering from a line producer’s point of view that the biggest challenge was finding funding and financing the whole project, a comment that earned some laughs.
The producer even compared herself to the Marvel Comics character Nick Fury assembling the Avengers in bringing the cast together, dedicating some praise to the production staff.
Another point of difficulty for Chiu was working around the schedules of director Jerrold Tarog — who previously helmed “Heneral Luna” and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral” — so he could be on board again. She also worried about releasing the film before 2025 ends.
Casting Rosales and Scottish actor Iain Glen, known for his “Game of Thrones” role, was another challenging task for the movie’s producers.
The “Game of Thrones” star and “Resident Evil” actor will portray Leonard Wood, the former Governor-General of the Philippines.
Rosales admitted portraying Quezon was indeed challenging. The iconic character commanded care and attention to detail, and Rosales commended Tarog’s script, which was co-written by award-winning playwright Rody Vera. The actor found the script as easy to follow, “very clear and precise, witty, exciting, and funny.”
Tarog and Vera co-wrote the previous movie in the Bayaniverse, “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral,” starring Paolo Avelino.
Related: Jericho Rosales on starring in ‘Quezon’: I feel prouder as a Filipino
For the actor — appearing in his first film in seven years — the collective challenge was transforming the cast into their characters across numerous look tests and prosthetics. On a personal level, his challenge was playing someone running for president during the 1930s.
“Ano ang nasa utak niya? What is it about power, his charm, charisma, and everything? He’s such a huge personality,” Rosales shared, calling it the most challenging yet best role he has done.
Tarog rounded out responses by calling the completion of “Quezon” as an unprecedented feat in Philippine cinema. He praised Chiu and TBA Studios for creating the trilogy of heroic films.
The director compared the difficulty to his experiences on “Heneral Luna” and “Goyo,” only this time the battle is a “war of words inside rooms and speeches.”
Starring with Rosales and Glen in “Quezon” are Karylle, Romnick Sarmenta, JC Santos, Angeli Bayani, Bodjie Pascua, Joross Gamboa, Ketchup Eusebio, Jake Macapagal, and Therese Malvar. Mon Confiado returns as Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon’s political rival.
Benjamin Alves will once again play a younger version of Quezon, while Arron Villaflor and Cris Villanueva will reprise their roles as the fictional character Joven Hernando at different ages.
“Quezon” will hit Philippine theaters nationwide beginning October 15.
RELATED: Jericho Rosales, Mon Confiado go head-to-head in ‘Quezon’ trailer
