With a star-studded cast, a powerful narrative, and a powerhouse team behind it, Sellblock is looking to be another globally competitive Filipino project.
Adding to the already packed and exciting slate of Filipino original shows and movies is yet another proudly Pinoy creation that not only promises an edge-of-your-seat experience, but also a global appeal. It’s called Sellblock, a sweeping series that stars the Asian Drama King himself, Jericho Rosales. Backed by a Hollywood producer and featuring a powerful and relevant plot line, Sellblock is a big deal of a project that will showcase local talent in the global stage. To get you hyped up, here are some things that we know so far about it.
Related: What We Know So Far About ‘Nokturno,’ Nadine Lustre And Mikhail Red’s Latest Project
A CRIME-ACTION SAGA
First announced in 2022, Sellblock is a prison-set action drama that chronicles the dealings of one of Asia’s most powerful drug empires run from within the confines of a maximum-security prison in the Philippines. In a teaser drop post, the fictional series is going to center on how the drug lords make the notorious compound as the “Las Vegas of prisons.”
While the full plot details have yet to be unveiled, it is said that Sellblock will run for three seasons. Just from these facts alone, we know that Sellblock is cooking something really epic. You can watch the teaser here.
POWERHOUSE CAST
As mentioned, Sellblock will be headlined by one of the country’s premier leading men, Jericho Rosales. Joining him is a slew of big names and industry heavyweights including Tirso Cruz III, Cherry Pie Picache, Mon Confiado, Ronnie Lazaro, Empoy Marquez, Rosanna Roces, RK Bagatsing, Sylvia Sanchez, and Ria Atayde. Well, there’s that to look forward to.
A HIGH-PROFILE PRODUCTION
In a recent update posted on Variety, Sellblock is set to go wide in its release as Hollywood producer Scott M. Rosenfelt has joined the team together with the U.S.-based global film company Blue Fox Entertainment as the show’s sales and distribution representative.
This is great news as it gives the opportunity for the Filipino show to reach more audiences worldwide. Rosnfelt’s previous credits include the 1990 family classic Home Alone, the Julia Roberts starring Mystic Pizza, and John Leguizamo’s Critical Thinking.
Meanwhile, Pedring Lopez, who recently helmed the Netflix-produced actioner Maria, is set to director all eight episodes of Sellblock’s first season. Lopez’s BlackOps Studios Asia, on the other hand, will produce.
“I’ve had a strong interest in developing a show like this, to provide global audiences with a glimpse into a shadowy, dangerous world,” says Lopez in a press release. “My work as a filmmaker–director, writer and showrunner–takes me to many great stories, to mine difficult characters and to illuminate their brutality and their humanity. Sellblock is all of that and more.”
CMB Films, one of Southeast Asia’s largest production equipment providers, will also co-produce with the creative agency PsyOps8 and Fire and Ice Media, a production company headed by former chairperson and CEO of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, Liza Diño-Seguerra. The latter’s also in charge of raising finances for the project.
GLOBAL MISSION
And speaking of tapping into the global audiences, Sellblock is another Filipino production that aims to champion local talent and storytelling in the competitive international landscape. “Working with BlackOps takes us one step closer to the vision of a globally competitive film and TV industry from the Philippines,” shares Diño-Seguerra.
“Now, with the streaming giants looking at the Philippines for content production, we see a shift in our local mainstream industry to produce globally viable genre content that can be distributed to commercial markets and enjoyed by audiences worldwide.” And with a strong narrative to tell with a star-studded cast and an experienced international team backing it up, Sellblock is looking to be another Filipino show that will make noise worldwide. Production is slated to start in May and we couldn’t be more excited.
Continue Reading: Here’s What We Know So Far About The First-Ever Summer Edition Of MMFF
