FROM COMIC BOOK PAGES, DREAMWALKER GOES ON LIVE ACTION

By Kathleen A. Llemit

FILIPINO supernaturals and mythical creatures have been featured in international productions. The American horror series “Grimm”, for instance, featured the aswang in 2014 thanks in large part to Reggie Lee, who played Sergeant Wu in the series.

There are other shows in recent years, such as Netflix’s “Trese,” a six-episode 2021 animated series based on the work of the same name by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldissimo. It introduced to the global mainstream viewers more than the vampiric, blood-sucking Filipino creature.

This time, the legend of the white lady, the nuno, and the tikbalang (half-horse, half-human creature) were introduced to the global audience in a six-part mini-series voiced by an all-star ensemble for both its English and Filipino language. They include Shay Mitchell, Liza Soberano, Darren Criss, Lou Diamond Phillips, Dante Basco, Manny Jacinto and Nicole Scherzinger.

This year, expect an eight-episode live-action series on Filipino supernaturals for global streaming, set for release early next year.

Eight months of secrecy

MICHAEL “Mikey” Sutton never thought that his brainchild would see its pages being made into a streaming series. Early this year, it was announced that his “Dreamwalker” has been picked up by Singapore-United Kingdom international content investment studio 108 Media.

“It’s eight months of secrecy,” Sutton said to Tony&Nick, one of the Philippine media who has been among the first ones to cover his first-ever graphic novel that features Filipino folklore and supernatural beings.

The news in late January about “Dreamwalker” being adapted into a live action series might have been a shock to many, but for Sutton, he has been in touch with 108 Media since 2019 when they first saw one panel, drawn by his partner, Noel Layon Flores.

“They told me to contact them when the first issue was out. So I did. I sent them the digital files. They loved it. They scheduled a phone conference and offered me a contract,” Sutton revealed.

The first issue has an intriguing plot: Filipino-American Kat survives a bus crash while in the Philippines. She discovers that she has developed the ability to “walk” in other people’s dreams where she can retrieve objects that she can use to fight off malignant beings or creatures.

Filipino diaspora

SUTTON’S geekiness paid off. Apart from penning “Dreamwalker” in 2018 after recovering from a near-fatal stroke, he is a true-blue comics geek. His love for comics had him gaining access to scoops from popular titles from Marvel and DC.

His passion went under the radar of Justin Deimen, President of Production (Asia) at 108 Media.

“I was a keen follower of Mike and his scoops, and always appreciated his exuberance for the genre and the fact that he was multicultural just like I was. He introduced the comic (Dreamwalker) to me quite early and I always saw the potential for it to be a touchstone for Filipinos around the world,” Deimen said in an email interview with Tony&Nick.

“The idea that it’s so culturally specific yet global in its outlook helped us see that it was a project never done before from this part of the world for an international and local audience,” he added.

Apart from being multicultural himself, Deimen believes that Filipino content has room for development at their company. He said that it is a “prime focus” because of the “strong talent pool” and “strategic alignment” with co-producing partners internationally.

“We see so much potential in stories coming from the Philippines because of how resonant they are across genres. There’ll be big things coming from talented Filipino creators out of the Philippines,” Deimen promised.

First-tier production

AS the genre relies heavily on CGI and animation, there will be those who will be asking how “Dreamwalker” will be adapted from graphic novel to live action.

Deimen said viewers and fans should not worry because their company will be working with teams from across a few countries.

“We see Dreamwalker creating a new model for Filipino creators being in the driving seat for bigger shows and films,” he added.

Kate is Kat

THE influence on paper may not necessarily be the same on its screen adaptation.

For “Dreamwalker,” however, 108 Media granted Sutton’s fondest wish to cast Filipina actress Kate Valdez to portray Kat. After all, Kate was Sutton’s muse when he wrote the story after seeing her 2018 afternoon drama series “Onanay.” It was his partner, Noel, who introduced the two since the latter has been working with Kate in GMA’s 2016 show “Encantadia.”

Apart from keeping Kate, 108 Media also said that it will adapt the issues that were already published. They will execute the vision of both Mikey and Noel.

Like many successful adaptations, the live action of “Dreamwalker” will have its own spin on scenes and action sequences as well as more arcs for different relationships between the characters.

“As the comics are still being written and the TV series is moving in its own speed and depth, it is our hope that each medium will spring off great storylines of their own and find opportunities to converge in the future. Dreamwalker, given its subject matter, will be able to stand on its own in its own different ‘realms,’” Deimen shared.

He added: “We will celebrate Filipino culture through its diaspora and how it evolves in the Philippines as well as around the world.”

The production will shoot across the Philippines by the end of this year.

“Respeto” director Treb Monteras II will serve as showrunner/director while his colleague, “Deleter” and “Birdshot” director Mikhail Red will be the series director. Los Angeles-based writer Kaitlyn Fae Fajilan will serve as head writer.

Series executive producers include Sutton, Monteras II, Deimen and other 108 Media executives, creative producer Kirstie Contrevida and CEO Abhi Rastogi.

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