Filipino horror-fantasy comic book “Ella Arcangel” is set to have its own animated film debut.
“Ikinagagalak naming sabihin na magkakaroon ng pelikula na base sa tomo 2, ‘Ella Arcangel: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko,’” the graphic novel’s official Facebook page announced along with a sneak peek.
“Abangan si Ella, si Mimiw, at si Pangil,” it added.
The animated film is part of the selected projects which will receive a grant from the FilmPhilippines Incentives Program of the Film Development Council of the Philippines.
Ella Arcangel is based on a comic book series by Julius Villanueva. It follows the story of a young mambabarang (sorcerer) who battles both men and mythical monsters in a strange community called Barangay Masikap.
In the second book of the series titled “Ella Arcangel: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko”, the lead character has to protect residents and the cats who are vulnerable to the attacks within the small portion of the big city.
Published by Haliya Publishing in 2017, the series covers local myths and Philippine folklore with themes of poverty, class warfare, abuse, and justice, among others.
Mervin Malonzo, author and artist of National Book Award-winning comic “TABI PO,” also confirmed on Twitter that the film adaptation is in development.
Mga tauhan sa Ella Arcangel: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko movie. @zekemachine pic.twitter.com/jjOywVctng
— Mervin Malonzo (@mervinmalonzo) October 1, 2021
Last year, Malonzo released a 19-minute animated version of “Ella Arcangel: Oyayi sa Dilim.”
On its official website, he said it took him “two to three years to complete” the project while juggling comic-making, selling books at conventions and freelance work.
“I am a fan of Ella Arcangel and her stories. The author, Julius Villanueva is one of the most prolific comic creators I know. We’ve become friends because we have similarities in the underlying themes and messages in our stories and those similarities are my driving force to create this animation. I wanted to amplify the message of Ella’s story through a different medium,” Malonzo wrote.
Comic book fans and artists await the upcoming animated adaptation.
“Congratulations sa inyo!!! Kaabang-abang,” a Twitter user said.
“I’m so excited!!! I watched Ella Arcangel and loved it so much,” another user said.