Matteo Guidicelli Announced as the New Pedro Penduko

There will be a reimagining of Francisco Coching’s Pedro Penduko that is set to be released in 2020. The movie will be directed by JP Laxamana.

Though there were a previous announcement that James Reid will be playing the fictional character, he quit due to medical concerns. Now, Matteo Guidicelli is the new face of Pedro Penduko as announced by Viva Artist Agency, JP Laxamana and Matteo himself.

Matteo’s Instagram post was simply captioned with #penduko #2020

 

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#Penduko #2020

A post shared by Matteo Guidicelli (@matteog) on Oct 22, 2019 at 5:16am PDT

Meanwhile, the Director JP Laxamana also posted on Instagram and said that he is thrilled to be working with the Kapamilya Actor.

 

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Thrilled to be working with @matteog in this reimagining of Francisco Coching’s #PENDUKO @viva_films

A post shared by Jason Paul Laxamana (@jplaxamana) on Oct 22, 2019 at 6:22am PDT

The previous movies and series were played by Ramon Zamora, Janno Gibbs and Matt Evans which was all reviewd by JP Laxama in preparation for his Penduko project. He also shared that he was always attracted to different stories that reflect Filipino culture and this project is something that he is really looking forward to.

 

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When I was offered to write and direct the new #PedroPenduko movie starring @matteog, I excitedly answered yes even though I knew it was going to be a big responsibility. But because I am fond of Filipino entertainment that features bits and pieces of #Filipino #culture, #heritage and #identity; and my childhood is filled with stories of #adventure and the #supernatural, I confidently said yes. I reviewed all past incarnations of Penduko—original comics, the movie starring Ramon Zamora and Janno Gibbs, the TV series starring Matt Evans—to find out if there’s a common origin story, lore or narrative arc. There isn’t. The Celso Ad. Castillo-directed version is even a musical! But one thing is for sure: #Penduko, no matter which incarnation you look at, has been consistent in being a platform to explore and showcase elements of Filipino folklore. So I vanquished the anxiety brought about by the possibility of screwing up any established lore. There isn’t an established lore, but there is an established essence, and it is that essence which I wish to continue and develop in this reimagining of Pedro Penduko. May the diwatas guide me in this endeavor!

A post shared by Jason Paul Laxamana (@jplaxamana) on Oct 23, 2019 at 2:57am PDT