The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
As early as July 2025 in time for the announcement of the first four official entries to the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), the box-office projection of the potential moneymakers were already getting ahead of its story.
As one of the selected entries, Star Cinema, IdeaFirst Company and Viva Films’ “Call Me Mother” is a favorite winner not only by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and MMFF Selection Committee but the general public as well.
Vice Ganda (Photo Credit: Vice Ganda/Facebook); A scene from “Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins” (Photo Credit: “Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origjns/Facebook)
Vice Ganda, the lead star of the comic-drama is a perennial, as many say, lucky charm of the fest.
Along with Regal Entertainment’s “Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins,” Reality MM Studios’ “Rekonek” and Media Quest’s “Manila’s Finest,” “Call Me Mother” was approved right away primarily on the strength of its written script and purportedly on box-office merit of the cast and creatives.
The other criteria however, again, unwritten, is the entertainment value of the project.
Just because Piolo Pascual leads the headliners in “Manila’s Finest,” the film is seen as a crowd-drawer as well.
Pop stars galore is the edge of Reality MM.Studios led by Gerald Anderson, Charlie Dizon, Andrea Brillantes, Bela Padilla, Carmina Villaroel and her family, namely Zoren, Cassy and Mavy Legaspi, Kelvin Miranda, among others.
Horror and fantasy are always surefire ingredients of a hit movie so Regal Entertainment’s “Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins” is predicted to be on the top rank.
True enough, at the rate things are going, “Call Me Mother” has been leading the initial earnings at the tills among the eight official entries which also include Nathan Films’ “I’m Perfect,” Quantum Films and Cineko Productions’ “Unmarry,” 901 Studios’ “Bar Boys After School” and ABS-CBN Studios, GMA Pictures and Regal Entertainment’s “Love You So Bad.”
Except for “SRR: Evil Origins” which earned a Rated R-13, all entries are classified General Patronage (GP) of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
Therefore, they are suited for all ages.
Based on an unofficial cash registry counting, “Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins” is doing a steady second most viewed film.
Surprises may spring up anytime, though, as “Unmarry” is breaking tradition as the third highest grosser as of the first and second day of its showing nationwide.
Before the MMFF awards night held last Saturday, December 27, 2025, Angelica Panganiban was favored to win the Best Actress Award in her powerful performance as a beleaguered wife seeking for an annulment in Jeffrey Jeturian’s “Unmarry.”
Zanjoe Marudo who portrayed her husband was also a shoo-in as a best actor winner.
Jeffrey as the maker of the actress in Angelica was heralded as one of the bests, if not the best director.
Anyway, the results of the awarding contribute to the market’s interest.
You as a moviegoer, what do you think?