Under Parallel Skies, a Philippines Drama Film, will be released in Asia by Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. will handle “Under Parallel Skies,” a drama picture made in the Philippines, for its Southeast Asian theatrical release. This weekend, the film will have its global premiere in Hong Kong as part of the Asian Film Awards.

“Under Parallel Skies,” which was directed by Sigrid Bernardo, tells the tale of a Thai bachelor who goes to Hong Kong to look for his mother, who is missing. Win Metawin, a well-known local actor, plays the bachelor. In light of their disparate identities and cultures, he encounters Janella Salvador’s character, a Filipino hotelier, who guides him through love, grief, and recovery in the foreign city.

Hong Kong has a large workforce from the Philippines, many of whom are employed as domestic helpers and in the hospitality industry. The film will be shot in Hong Kong from June to July 2023 with support from the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and will feature famous local locations such as Kowloon City and Tai O.

Three Southeast Asian countries will get Warner’s release: Thailand on May 9, Singapore in May, and the Philippines on April 17.

When we saw the first cut with director Sigrid, we knew we had something special here. We believed that this project is for the region. Then we pitched it to Rico [Gonzales] of Warner Bros. I felt like this project is the epitome of all stars aligning — that we produced a cross-country film and Warner Bros. was looking for something like that.” said Richard Juan, CEO of producer 28 Squared Studios. Rico Gonzales, director of distribution for Warner Bros. Philippines, saw regional potential and pitched it wider within the studio.

“There were some particular scenes in the movie that made me decide that, yes, I am going to recommend this film to my regional bosses. At Warner Bros, we believe in the power of stories. And I knew for a fact that from what I saw, even though it was still the non-final version of the film, I knew there was something special about it,” said Gonzales.

This film is considered to be the first entry of Filipino films for theatrical release by Warner Bros. It is also the first production by the newly formed 28 Squared, co-produced with Hong Kong-based Two Infinity Entertainment.

“At 28 Squared Studios, our mission is to champion impactful stories in Southeast Asia. We believe that we can continue fulfilling that mission as we bring this film across the region and showcase the talents in front and behind the camera on the global stage,” said Christophe Kagape, Chief Operating Officer of 28 Squared and co-executive producer of the film.