Creating probably the most titles among local directors currently, in-demand filmmaker Derick Cabrido thinks that local content is on a rebound. However, challenges remain why cinema-goers are still not flocking to the movie houses like they used to.
Ticket prices remain expensive, he said. Cabrido laments that ticket prices are more than half of the minimum daily wage in Metro Manila. Cinema tickets can go as expensive as 400 pesos for regular cinemas while Metro Manila’s minimum daily wage for workers in the commercial sectors stands at 695 pesos as of July 2025. “Ikaw lang ‘yun mag-isa ha. Mag pop corn pa, may pamasahe pa,” he adds. To his point, going to the cinema has become a luxurious past time.
Making moviegoing an “experience”
Cinemas and production houses can work together on making moviegoing an experience, he said. Aside from upgrading our movie houses in terms of screen projection, sound quality and seat management among others, he said we can think of other creative ways to make the act of going to the big screens as enjoyable as possible.
Although Cabrido emphasizes that there is no shortage of content. As of this interview, seven local movies are being released or scheduled for release. “Palabas ang ‘P77’. Palabas ang ‘Sunshine’. If am not mistaken, meron kang pito na Tagalog movies right now na sabay-sabay: ‘Lasting Moments’, ‘Meg & Ryan’, ‘How To Deal With My Toxic Family’, ‘Food Delivery’ and ‘Lola Barang’. Isa na lang, MMFF ka na,” he points out.
He himself has contributed to the deluge of current titles, directing the Barbie Forteza-starrer and horror flick “P77”, which has been extended in multiple screens nationwide.
Intimidated by “P77” and praises for Barbie Forteza
The director is happy to read about the positive feedback of audiences towards “P77” but he admits being intimated with the material. “May mga instances na sinasabi ko sa GMA (Pictures) na ‘sure kayo?’. May times na sinabihan ko ang concept creator na baka last na natin ‘to kasi di ko alam if mag wo-work ang ganitong material,” he said, contemplating on the Filipino audience’s preference for jump scares in horror films and not necessarily in psychological plays.
The risk paid off with the scheduled extension of its commercial screenings.
On his lead actress, Derick noted how Barbie has matured from their first horror project in 2016 “Tuos” to how the actress handled her role in “p77”. “Mas meron siyang sariling diskarte sa kung saan niya gustong dalhin ‘yung acting niya, ‘yung character niya.”
“Sobrang layo na,” Cabrido drescribes Barbie’s growth. “She was 15 years old when we worked together in ‘Tuos’. Alam niya kung anong gagawin pero kailangan mo i-guide. This time, malinaw na ‘yung personal inputs niya. Binubuo na niya muna ‘yung character sa utak niya bago niya ilabas,” the director shares.
But it is not only in the big screens that Cabrido has his hands busy in terms of movie making. He took the responsibility of adapting the Thai hit “Bad Genius” into a local series via the streaming platform Viva One, and is one of the first batch of filmmakers tasked to pioneer vertical shorts in the country with not just one, but two features in Cignal Play Microdramas via the comedy “3 Queens and a Baby” and the romance shorts “A Cure Called Love.”
Re-making a hit in “Bad Genius”
Despite the trust that multiple production houses have given him, Cabrido makes sure he can deliver before accepting the projects. Similar to “p77”, he had a lot of considerations too in making the Viva One local adaption of “Bad Genius” which stars Atasha Muhlach, Jairus Aquino, Hyacinth Calzado and Gab Lagman.
“Mahirap ganun eh na tumatak na ‘yung original tapos sa sabayan mo, gagawan mo ng bago. Ang hirap ng ganun challenge. Kung hindi ko mabibigyan ng justice ‘yung ganun, di ko na tatanggapin kasi sayang ‘yung materyal, maba-bash pa ako,” he shares.
The careful creation of “Bad Genius” has averaged 5 drafts of scripts per episode, Derick shared, even up to doing last-minute adjustments even on taping day.
He also has to prep his actors well, including toning down the bubbly Atasha Muhlach to tackling the seriousness of her character Lin. “She surprised me,” Derick thinks of Atasha who is starring in her first dramatic TV series after a stint in sitcoms.
Directing in the time of high content demand and beyond horror
While filming schedule has heavily adjusted and improved locally, Cabrido also has positive words in terms of professionalism for almost all of the actors he has worked with.
He only has a few examples of that one thing that irks him the most. “Ang pinaka ayaw ko is dadating ‘yung artista on the set na ang pakiramdam nila ay workshop yung set: hindi prepared, hindi kabisado ang lines, walang bitbit, hindi mo alam kung sino ang character mo,” he shares.
Despite engaged in horror thrillers since “Clarita” and then the MMFF 2023 entry “Mallari”, Cabrido said that he can do more stories even outside the genre that he is starting to be known for. Although he would admit that his artistry is being tested the most in doing horrors, and that it is the most difficult genre to do, he is excited to bring more stories to audiences.
In fact, the young director is not relying on the genre, but on how he wants people to remember how his movies made them feel. And with that, he looks forward to bringing more titles to life.