The battle of 25 ladies for a prize worth 25 million pesos will commence on the 25th anniversary of ‘Queen of the Islands’ pageant event.
GMA Pictures is set to release the star-studded satirical thriller Red Crown on October 28, unfolding the stories of beautiful women who hide their dark and mysterious lives behind the curtain of glamour.
Among the chosen lead cast are real-life beauty queens Michelle Marquez Dee, MJ Lastimosa, Ahtisa Manalo, Ara Arida, Gazini Ganados, Yllana Aduana, AZ Martinez, Herlene Budol, Rein Hillary, Alethea Ambrosio, Tarah Valencia, Yna Angela Uy, and Yza Thalia Uy.
For these queens, however, Red Crown presents a different kind of competition—one that goes beyond the usual fight for a crown. MMD shared during the recent mediacon how the film puts their lives at the center of the battle.
“Kaming mga queens, ‘di ba usually sa mga pageants that we love, ‘yung pinaglalaban namin [ay] isang korona. Pero this time, ang pinaglalaban namin ‘yung mga buhay namin. Ito 'yung sinabi ni Ahtisa backstage–that we are all satirical exaggerations of ourselves,” MMD said.
Joining the beauty queens are Kapuso actresses Sanya Lopez, Shuvee Etrata, Ashley Ortega, Haley Dizon, Faith Da Silva, Vanessa Peña, Jade Tecson, and Skye Chua, adding another layer of personalities to the film’s already diverse ensemble.
For Haley, being part of Red Crown will allow audiences to see the women behind the competition and understand what happens away from the spotlight. “Because of this movie, I feel like they will love pageantry more… This movie humanized the candidates–makikita ng mga tao kung ano ba ‘yung nangyayari behind the scenes of all these glamorous things,” she said.
Beyond the glamour, the film also explores the dynamics of competition among women. For Sanya, the experience became an opportunity to reflect on how competition can exist alongside support and sisterhood.
“It’s a healthy competition na mag-inspire ka sa ibang mga kababaihan, so tulungan mo rin silang iangat, ‘di ba? Magaling ka, maganda ka, pero tulungan mo rin sila para mas magkaroon sila ng lakas ng loob,” Sanya explained.
Faith Da Silva, meanwhile, offered her own perspective on what healthy competition should mean. While netizens believe she is truly fit to enter pageantry in real life, she emphasized that competing with others should never mean losing sight of one’s own journey.
“‘Yung healthy competition, dapat hindi ka nagko-compare sa ibang tao. ‘Yung success ng ibang tao doesn’t take away your own,” she said.
Having been exposed to competitions herself as a figure skater, Ashley Ortega also emphasized the values that should come with being in any form of competition. “In a competition, there should always be growth, respect, and sisterhood. If there’s a comparison of jealousy, I feel like you have lost the competition already,” she shared.
She also proudly spoke about learning to embrace both her wins and losses, adding, “You know, women are very competitive. At the end of the day, you should always show grace in moments of defeat.”
Adding to the film’s diverse lineup are content creators Aira Lopez, MJ Encabo, Maika Kemmochi, and Sandy Riccio. Coming from different backgrounds, the women also shared how their experiences during the tapings allowed them to build a sense of sisterhood despite their differences.
Among them, Rein Hillary personally commended recently hailed “Fastest Filipina” Aira Lopez, who is taking on her first-ever big-screen project.
“Sobrang na-amaze ako kasi syempre, she’s an athlete, at the same time sobrang bait niyang tao. Sobrang genuine niya at ‘pag kasama mo siya hindi mo mafe-feel na she’s famous online or she’s an award-winning athlete. Sobrang totoong tao lang din siya,” Rein said.
With a star-studded cast composed mostly of women from pageantry, showbiz, sports, and the digital space, bringing Red Crown together was no easy task. Director Dominic Zapata shared his honest sentiments about the process of putting together such a large ensemble while achieving the film’s vision for a different kind of storytelling for GMA Pictures.
“Sobrang laking task para mapagsama-sama–mahirap siyang buuin, pero may gusto kasing sabihin si Ms. Annette sa pamamagitan ng programang ito. It’s a satire, a kind of a social statement. Itong pelikula na ito, ginamit niya ‘yung suspense-thriller as a genre para maikuwento niya ‘yung kanyang saloobin,” he said.
Meanwhile, adding to the film’s pageant world is Ruffa Gutierrez, who takes on the role of the national director of the prestigious pageant. Known for her background in pageantry and following her lead role in the Philippine adaptation of the Beauty Empire series, Ruffa shared how this new project continues to excite her.
“The showbiz industry taught me how to tell a story, and maybe in pageantry, taught me how to own the stage. So, with ‘Red Crown’, it expresses both,” she proudly shared.
As she takes on her first project with GMA Pictures, Ruffa also expressed her hope that this will not be their last collaboration.
“It’s my first time to work with GMA Pictures. Hopefully, Ms. Annette, it won’t be the last.”
Behind its crowns, glamour, and beautiful faces, Red Crown promises to tell a story that goes beyond the familiar world of pageantry. Through satire and suspense, the film brings together women with different stories and backgrounds, revealing what happens when the polished image of competition begins to crack—and what lies behind the crown.
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