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| (Image Source: PelikulaMania.com) |
Two of Philippines’ biggest and most awarded Entertainment companies, Regal Entertainment and Reality MM Studios, sealed their partnership with a premiere talent management agency Virtual Playground to officially handle the careers of their contract artists and aim to discover homegrown talents to star in their future projects. The announcement was made in a virtual conference on December 1, 2021 by Regal Entertainment Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Roselle Monteverde, Reality MM Studios President and Chief Executive Officer Dondon Monteverde and Virtual Playground Chief Executive Officer Charlie Dy.
Regal Entertainment has been a steady pillar in Filipino entertainment for decades, producing dozens of films per year since it was founded by cinema pioneer Mother Lily Monteverde in the early 1960s. It was through her ingenuity that the company introduced the celebrated “Regal Babies” roster of talents, paving the way for some of most prominent superstars to appear in Philippine franchise films like “Shake, Rattle and Roll” and “Mano Po” and television shows in the last few decades. In the 1980s, with its production expertise and prominent celebrity roster, Regal Entertainment became instrumental in re-establishing one of the largest television networks in the country, ABS-CBN, following its closure during the Martial Law period. At present, Regal Entertainment continues to impact the television scene by working with TV giant GMA Network to produce and air “Regal Studio Presents,” a collection of feel-good stories that feature today’s most talented celebrities. Aside from its legacy of expertise in film and television production, Regal Entertainment continues to be at the forefront of launching the careers of the finest actors and actresses in the country through their phenomenal digital series – “Ben X Jim” on Youtube and “Gen-Z” on Cignal.
Reality MM Studios, under the guidance of accomplished producer Ronald “Dondon” Monteverde and award-winning director Erik Matti, has been pushing the boundaries of Filipino cinema for almost twenty years. It has been recognized both locally and internationally with prolific and imaginative films like “On The Job,” which premiered at the 2013 Cannes International Film Festival; “BuyBust,” hailed 2019 Gawad Urian Best Picture and one of the films selected in the award-giving body’s list of best films of the decade; “On The Job: The Missing 8,” which premiered to a standing ovation at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival where lead actor John Arcilla bagged the coveted Volpi Cup Best Actor Award for his role in the film; and a number of internationally acclaimed titles like “Honor Thy Father,” “Kuwaresma,” and “Seklusyon. Reality MM Studios is also working with a number of global producers, distributors, and platforms such as Netflix, which has acquired its titles “BuyBust,” “Kuwaresma,” and “A Girl and A Guy”; and HBO Go, which Reality MM Studios partnered with to produce the first season of Erik Matti’s “On The Job” series as well as episodes for international shows “Foodlore,” and “Folklore.” To continue Regal Entertainment and Reality MM Studio’s legacy of providing quality entertainment for Filipinos, these companies seek to establish and represent a talented pool of performers that will be the source of pride and inspiration to pinoy showbiz fans around the world. With this, both studios saw the humble yet decorated credibility of Virtual Playground in Talent Management to actualize this stellar vision.
Bannering Virtual Playground’s roster of brilliant and talented celebrities are television teen heartthrob Grae Fernandez; “A Girl and A Guy” stars Alexa Miro, Rob Gomez, Sarah Holmes, Rosh Barman and Carlo Tarobal; Ms. Universe Philippines 2014 MJ Lastimosa; Ms. Globe 2015 Ann Colis; Star Awards Best New Movie Actor nominee Kent Gonzales; award-winning theater and film actress Krystal Brimner; Asia’s Got Talent Finalist Gwyneth Dorado, Events and TV hosts Mela Tunay and Apple David, and young actors Keann Johnson, Dustin Yu, Darwin Yu, Kimson Tan, Migs Villasis, Blue Cailles, Shiara Lagman, Ayeesha Cervantes, Pam Gonzales, Lara Fortuna and Sarah Edwards. Virtual Playground also continues to cultivate the talents and potential of a number of athletes who have already crossed over to the world of show business, such as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) World Champion turned “BuyBust” lead actor Brandon Vera; collegiate basketball idol turned movie star Ricci Rivero; taekwondo gold medalist Pauline Lopez; UFC Fighter and Model Mark Striegl; and professional volleyball stars John Vic de Guzman and Jema Galanza.
With its roster of over a hundred actors, professional athletes, up-and-coming celebrities, social media influencers and content creators, Virtual Playground is primed to break new grounds in the Philippine entertainment scene. This new partnership brings to the forefront a new breed of refreshing new faces and exceptional talents that will soon shine across the mainstream stage and take over digital platforms worldwide.
