Piolo Pascual will be appearing on the big screen once again to play Father Juan Severino Mallari, a Filipino Catholic priest who was also the first documented serial killer in the Philippines. 

The real life Fr. Mallari reportedly killed at least 57 people in Magalang, Pampanga.

The movie, titled Mallari, is written by creative producer and An Inconvenient Love writer Joaquin Enrico Santos. It will be directed by award-winning documentary and film director Derick Carbido and will be produced by first-time horror film producer John Bryan Diamante. 

The film will detail the life and work of the serial killer-priest. He committed the murders reportedly to help his mother who was said to be bewitched or cursed. The priest believed that in order to combat the black magic, he should sacrifice the lives of those who visited the church over the course of 10 years.

The priest was caught when he fell ill and his visitors found multiple bloodied items in his possession. This resulted in the multiple unsolved murders being linked to him. He was sentenced to death 14 years after being caughtm becoming the first Filipino priest to be executed in the Philippines, 32 years before the execution of GomBurZa.

This will be Piolo’s first time to lead a horror film and portraying multiple characters. The film explores three timelines throughout the story: Spanish Colonization (1851), Post War (1950), and the present (2023).