Perhaps it is the most popular of Carlo J. Caparas komiks series that has been brought to the big screen…from the first Ang Panday with action king Fernando Poe, Jr. It even had three more installments later, and all of which became box-office hits, not to mention making FPJ’s stature in the movies non pareil, as the French would say.
At the end of this month, Ang Panday surfaces back on screen, albeit the TV screen, when it premieres on the last Monday of the month with new stars and a retooled plot and storyline.
Original fantaserye king Richard Gutierrezreturns on primetime television as Flavio in the newest, grandest and modernized version of the classic and iconic komiks series. TheCaparasclassic airs on Feb. 29 on TV5.
This is in collaboration between Viva Entertainment Group and TV5 in the network’s goal to draw in a bigger audience share on primetime.
Richard plays the popular character of the Pinoy superhero Fiavio, a blacksmith and who became familiar with many Filipino movie fans after four blockbuster movies headlined by the late King of Philippine Movies Fernando Poe, Jr.
FPJ’s Pandayemerged as top grosser in the 1980 Metro Manila Film Festival. Da King followed it with three more highly successful installments in successive years.
Senators Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada had their own versions, Dugong Panday in 1993 and Hiwagang Panday in 1998, respectively.
Revilla did two more Panday projects, Ang Panday (2009) and Ang Panday 2 (2011 Metro Manila Film Festival) for GMA Films.
Other TV remakes followed suit in two different stations. This year’s TV remake on the Kapatid network, however, will have multi-awarded Mac Alejandre at the helm with k Carlo himself acting as creative consultant of the project.
VIVA and TV5’s Panday will trace Flavio’s tale from birth to his adventures as a blacksmith who goes up against arch nemesis Lizardo and his evil cohorts with the use of his sword that has supernatural powers.
Carlo says that in the modernized version, the audience will discover that Fiavio is a foundling and that he has a brother. His sibling is raised by bad elements while Flavio is taken care of a priest.
Joining Richard as chief nemesis Lizardo in the 2016 Ang Panday TV remake is Christopher “Boyet” de Leon in a role originally portrayed on the big screen by late character actor Max Alvarado.
Also in the cast include the new child wonder Alonzo Muhlach, MTV Pinoy VJ Sam Pinto, Jasmine Curtis, Bangs Garcia, Empoy, Chicser’s Ranz Kyle, CJ Caparas, and Ara Mina to name a few.
The adventures of Flavio in Ang Panday, now on TV, begins on Feb. 29. p.m. on Kapatid network , TV5.