Winning in 2023 isn’t enough for Dolly de Leon—she’s just getting started. Here’s what’s in store for the acclaimed actress in the upcoming year.
Related: 5 Secrets We Learned From The Cast Of A Very Good Girl
Since the start of 2023, Dolly de Leon has been having a much-deserved career renaissance with the way she’s been dominating headlines. Among other achievements, her scene-stealing performances in A Very Good Girl and Triangle of Sadness, coupled with numerous nominations and awards, make it clear how much she deserves all the recognition. If you’ve yet to experience these cinematic masterpieces, you’re missing out on witnessing an acting virtuoso in action. So, what’s next on her horizon? Hollywood.
Dolly de Leon’s momentum is still going strong as her 2024 calendar is already bustling with activity. Her name is increasingly linked with Hollywood, and her drive shows no signs of slowing down—rather, it’s just beginning. With promising projects in the making, De Leon is poised to make a lasting impression on the entertainment industry in the year ahead. Fans and critics eagerly anticipate the unveiling of her new endeavors, expecting another spellbinding chapter in the illustrious career of this talented actress. Here’s what we know so far.
Oscar Hopes For ‘Iti Mapukpukaw (The Missing)’
Before we delve deep into 2024, let’s discuss Iti Mapukpukaw (The Missing). This year, the animated movie that clinched the Best Film award at the 2023 Cinemalaya Philippine Film Festival has been submitted for the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards. The movie has been met with critical acclaim for its bold storytelling and animation. Some insiders have even tipped the film to potentially become the first Filipino movie nominated for an Oscar. But its journey to the Academy Awards needs support, especially when it comes to raising funds for its promotion.
According to Dolly de Leon, “We need at least P6 million. Kasi ang fee pa lamang ng PR person is US$20,000. Kasi yung PR sila lahat ang gumagawa ng trabaho. Sila ang humahawak ng schedule ng interview, screenings, booking restaurant. So malaking pera talaga ang kailangan. Balita ko marami na rin ang tumutulong. We’re doing a lot of activities to make sure it takes off. It has to happen soon because by the middle of December, sarado na ang voting. I believe the movie needs to be seen by many people.” Fingers crossed it gets the nomination.
She’s Now Signed to a Management Company
After decades of managing her own bookings, endorsements, and all work-related roles, Dolly de Leon is finally signed to a management company—CreaZion Studios. For the award-winning actress, with no shade whatsoever, it has been the only studio that made her feel like it was a collaboration.
“We have the same values. We love Philippine cinema. We were very alike in so many ways. Dahil doon, I realize that it can be a good partnership. It’s something that I need to stir me. Wala naman kasi akong alam sa side na yun ng industriya. Alam ko lang umarte. They are experts when it comes to that side that I’m not and I’m not familiar with,” she says.
While she’s still managed by Adam Kersh in Hollywood, all of her works in the Philippines will be handled by CreaZion Studios, and both parties couldn’t be prouder.
Nine Perfect Strangers
Next year, her first order of business is flying to Germany. Shooting in Munich for six months, Dolly is scheduled to portray one of Nicole Kidman’s patients in Nine Perfect Strangers. As the name suggests, the plot revolves around nine strangers who attend a 10-day wellness retreat at a luxurious and secluded health resort called Tranquillum House. Run by a mysterious woman named Masha, the retreat promises transformation and healing. The twist, however? Masha microdoses her patients with LSD. If you’ve seen the first season on HULU, you can tell that it’s another interesting role for the Dolly de Leon.
When asked about her expectations in working with the Oscar winner, she answers, “Balita ko method actor daw siya. Hindi ko lang sure masyado kung makakapag-bond kami because sa method acting lagi silang in-character. I’m also excited to work with Murray Bartlett na sobrang napakahusay na aktor. Siya yung sa ‘The Last of Us‘ and ‘The White Lotus‘. Marami kaminn scenes together ni Murray dahil yung character niya at character ko magiging close.” To say the least, more Filipino fans will be binge-watching the series.
In-Between America and the Philippines
While Dolly is booked and busy in the first six months of the year, what’s next for her in the Philippines? At the moment the actress is in between scripts and hoping one of them works out. Don’t worry, Dolly de Leon is coming back sooner than we’ll realize. For the actress, she has still a lot of directors and artists in her ‘to work with’ list. “Marami pa rin directors dito sa Pilipinas na hindi ko pa nakaka trabaho na gusto kong ma-experience. And because I love our industry here I want to be a part of that change that is currently happening in our industry. I want to make it possible,” she said.
When asked about the local stars she would love to collaborate with in the future, Dolly answered: “I want to work with Mikhail Red, and Raymond Red. Gusto ko makatrabaho lahat ng Red. Pati si James Red. Nakatrabaho ko na siya sa isang soap dati.’ While that gained a good laugh from the audience, on a more serious note, Dolly wants to work with Jodi Sta. Maria, Jericho Rosales, and Vilma Santos. “Kapag may nagtanong bakit hindi ko binaggit si ganito? Ibig sabihin naka-trabaho ko na siya.” she continues.
Next Stop: Dollywood
With the success of A Very Good Girl and Triangle of Sadness, it seems like her next stop really is Dollywood. At the moment, she’s set to star in a film described as ‘an anxious comedy.’ Between the Temples, a new film from writer and director Nathan Silver, tells the story of a cantor who is locked in a crisis of faith and finds his world turned upside down when his grade school music teacher re-enters his life as his new adult Bat Mitzvah student. The supporting cast? None other than Dolly de Leon.
To top it all off, she reveals working alongside Awkwafina and John Cena in an action-comedy film set in the future decades of Hollywood. Grand Death Lotto is the new film from Paul Feig with an interesting plot—a competition known as ‘the Grand Lottery’ has been established in ‘economically challenged’ California. There’s a catch: You must murder the winner before sundown and you can legally claim their prize. One twisty project after another, if 2023 is the rise of Dolly de Leon, she has no plans of stopping soon, and we can only wish for more.
Continue Reading: 6 Dolly De Leon Fashion Moments That Prove She Can Wear Anything And Look Good
