Cattleya Killer

Cattleya Killer is a Philippine psychological thriller drama television series directed by Dan Villegas. The series stars Arjo Atayde, with Jake Cuenca, Christopher de Leon, Jane Oineza, Ria Atayde, Ricky Davao, Nonie Buencamino and Zsa Zsa Padilla also starring. It is the sequel to the 1996 film Sa Aking mga Kamay.

The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on June 1, 2023.

Plot 
Two decades after the infamous Cattleya Killer case, the man who cracked the case, Joven dela Rosa (Christopher de Leon), is now NBI Deputy Director. His youngest son, Anton (Arjo Atayde), is one of his top agents, while his eldest, Benjie (Jake Cuenca), runs a foundation for traumatized women. After a young woman's body is discovered, bearing the same markings as the long-dead Cattleya Killer, the lives of the three men, and everyone around them, are thrown into turmoil. Dark secrets are bought forward, as the line between the real world and the unreal blurs. Anton dela Rosa becomes the prime suspect when past traumas and long-buried secrets are brought to light.

Cast

Main cast 

 Arjo Atayde as Anton dela Rosa
 Enzo Osorio Biag as young Anton
 Jake Cuenca as Benjie dela Rosa
 Zyren Dela Cruz as teen Benjie
 Christopher de Leon as Joven dela Rosa
 Jane Oineza as Tina Galvez
 Ria Atayde as Micah Tapales
 Ricky Davao as Demet Noble
 Nonie Buencamino as Raffy Canete
 Zsa Zsa Padilla as Aurora 'Auri' Melendez

Supporting cast 

 Ketchup Eusebio as Rigor Salas
 Frances Makil-Ignacio as Lorelei Mumar
 Rafa Siguion-Reyna as Jonty Laurena
 Jojit Lorenzo as Jester/Talek
 Ryan Eigenmann as Gene Rivera
 Lito Pimentel as Randolph
 Cheska Inigo as Sally Vitan
 Joel Saracho as Victor Pescante
 Sandino Martin as Nolet

Other cast 

 Annicka Dolonius as Mazy Fontanilla
 Micah Muñoz as Brylle
 Anne Feo as Atty. Jen Flaminiano
 Abed Green as Jake
 Jarred Jaicten as Pen Acosta
 Allison Smith as Nancy Jane Paterno
 Jellene Geviane De Vera as Bar Waitress
 Jorge Cariño, Zen Hernandez, Niko Baua, Adrian Ayalin and Kori Quintos as News Reporters
 Nikko Natividad as Nonoy Eightball
 Michael Delgado as Ollie
 Teetin Villanueva as Cassie Nolasco
 Zeppi Borromeo as Poling
 Erlinda Gonzalez as Marisa
 Adriann D. Apruebo as Bearish Guy
 Alexa Ocampo as Yvonne (Victim 3)
 Harry Archie Soon as Tricycle Driver

Additionally, appearing via archive footage are Chin-Chin Gutierrez as Camille dela Rosa, Kier Legaspi as Dino, Karl Angelo Legaspi as young Benjie dela Rosa and Rachel Lobanco as Lindy Villegas.

Episodes

Production

Development 
The series is directed by Dan Villegas, written by Dodo Dayao, and executive produced by Ruel S. Bayani.

It was part of the 2021 Full Circle Series Lab, a Southeast Asian talent development initiative by the Film Development Council of the Philippines and French film company Tatino Films, represented by Creative Producer Tanya Bautista and Producer Edgar Joseph Johnson Mallari.

Filming 
Arjo Atayde, the lead star, prepared for his role by watching documentaries, videos and his own research in order to create his character. He explained his acting process saying, “I just tried to get into the character and went with the flow based on instinct. There was a lot of analyzing in the beginning especially when Direk Dan was trying to explain how the character should be portrayed."

Zsa Zsa Padilla, who plays Auri, said she was impressed by how well their producers took care of the whole team, saying “They made sure to stick to the 12-hour work schedule. This is a good thing because this keeps people on their toes. They know everyone is running on a tight schedule and, therefore, they should be professional. It was a breeze to work with everybody. The script was given way ahead, so I had more time to memorize my lines. We also had Zoom meetings where all we did was throw lines."

Jake Cuenca, who plays Benjie, admitted that he had difficulty letting go of his character after filming, saying, "I think I was so stimulated. Like Arjo, I watched documentaries. I practiced day in and day out. I became the character for a time—I even went on an imaginary date with the character of Ms. Zsa Zsa Padilla. I had so much fun doing it that when it ended, it was hard for me to let go."

According to Villegas, the works of Iranian-French cinematographer Darius Khondji were the main inspiration for most of the show's visuals and cinematography. He elaborated by saying, “We did very minimalist lighting, no over the top shots. Those were the visual look that we planned. That was the visual language that we planned. We wanted it to be simple, but rock.”

Release 
Cattleya Killer had its international premiere screening at MIPCOM Cannes on October 19, 2022, marking a milestone for Philippine entertainment as it was the first Filipino production to screen at MIPCOM, the world's largest content market. Four days later, the producers received the news that the crime drama series would be carried by Prime Video.

The series had its blue carpet premiere in the Philippines on May 12, 2023, screening its pilot episode, followed by a press conference with the cast and crew.

The series was released on June 1, 2023 on Prime Video, and is available to stream in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other selected territories.

Marketing 
The original trailer was released to the public on October 20, 2022 by ABS-CBN.

On May 10, 2023, the cast had a promotional photoshoot, followed by the release of a new official trailer by Prime Video Philippines, showcasing its links to the previous film, Sa Aking mga Kamay. The release date was also revealed as June 1, 2023.

Awards and nominations

See also 

 Sa Aking mga Kamay (1996 film)
 List of Amazon Prime Video original programming
 List of Philippine drama series
 List of Philippine television shows

References

External links 
 

Psychological thriller television series
ABS-CBN drama series
Television shows filmed in the Philippines
Filipino-language television shows
Philippine thriller television series
2023 Philippine television series debuts
Philippine crime television series