Rising Filipino actor Anthony Jennings is taking on his first international solo lead role in the upcoming horror-comedy-drama “Mother Maybe,” directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sonny Calvento (“Excuse Me, Miss, Miss, Miss”), it was revealed at the Hong Kong FilMart.
The genre-blending feature, set to begin filming in the final quarter of this year, follows Marco (Jennings), a young man who reunites with his long-lost mother during a high-stakes Asian game show, only to discover a terrifying secret: at night, his mother transforms into something monstrous.
“Anthony has this natural charm that makes him so easy to watch,” Calvento said. “He can make you laugh one moment and make you cry the next, which is exactly what this role demands. This balance of comedic timing and emotional depth makes him the right fit for Marco.”
The film represents a bold examination of the overseas Filipino worker experience, using supernatural horror as a lens to explore the emotional toll of migration. For Calvento, the project is deeply personal. “My family deviates from the traditional close-knit Filipino structure. My mother left when I was two, and talking about her was forbidden at home,” Calvento said. “At its heart, this film is my tribute to my mother. A monster separates us, but perhaps, through this story, I can bring us closer again.”
Jennings, known for his work in the hit series “Can’t Buy Me Love” as Snoop Manansala, has built a resume across romance, drama, and action genres. His recent projects “Incognito” and “Sosyal Climbers” have dominated Netflix Philippines’ charts, with the latter breaking into Netflix’s Non-English Global Top 10.
“Mother Maybe” is a tri-national co-production between Southern Lantern Studios (Philippines), E&W Films (Singapore), and Volos Films Ltd. (Taiwan). The project has secured significant industry recognition, winning the TAICCA Development Grant at Full Circle Lab Philippines and the Malaysian Development Lab for Feature Films in 2022, followed by multiple accolades including the TAICCA x CNC Award for Best Project and the MPA Grand Award at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest in 2023.
