Here’s what Julia Barretto said about this.
ABS-CBN actress Julia Barretto stepped outside of her comfort zone and spoke about doing a horror film for MMFF 2026.
For many people, Julia Barretto has always been the actress who excels in drama and in doing romantic films. However, after she unfolded a new chapter in her career, she also stepped outside of this comfort zone and took on a role in the upcoming horror film titled “Haunted Carnival,” which is one of the official entries to the 2026 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).
Recently, she spoke about facing her fears in shooting this horror film, while admitting that horror has been far from her favorite genre. This also makes her participation in the project an interesting challenge for the actress. In an interview, she openly shared that she is genuinely scared of horror films, even finding it amusing that projects in the genre continue to come her way.
“Sobrang takot ako sa horror,” Barretto said, but despite this, she sees the opportunity to work on horror projects as something worth embracing. But beyond conquering her fears, she also sees this project as an exciting opportunity as she is set to work with Maricel Soriano for the first time onscreen, something she has reportedly been looking forward to.
Barretto revealed that she had previously been offered several projects with Soriano, but they never pushed through. Believing in the importance of the right timing and the right project, she feels that “Haunted Carnival” is finally the perfect opportunity for them to work together.
Speaking about Soriano, she expressed, “Sobrang lambing ni Ms. Maricel. Super lambing, very, very malambing. Here we’re going to build a separate relationship kasi nagkasama kami ni Ms. Maricel through my mom. Si mommy ang love na love niya and love na love din ni mommy si Ms. Maricel. So kahit hindi kami magkakaroon ng bond. I’m excited to start working with her and to build a relationship with everyone na makakasama namin.”
This is not the first time that Julia is doing a horror film. She made her horror acting debut in the 2020 action-horror film Block Z by director Mikhail Red and also starred in director Brillante Mendoza’s 2022 film Bahay na Pula.
Meanwhile, here’s the list of the first four official entries of the MMFF 2026:
- “Second Miracle in Cell No 7” under Viva Communications, starring Aga Muhlach and under the direction of Nuel Naval.
- “Amir” under GMA Pictures starring Dennis Trillo, Will Ashley, Glaiza de Castro, and Argus Aspiras, directed by Zig Dulay.
- “Haunted Carnival” by Regal Entertainment starring Julia Barretto, Fyang Smith, Maricel Soriano and James Reid.
- “The Greatest Showdown” with Vic Sotto and Vice Ganda under ABS-CBN Films Productions Inc, The IdeaFirst Company, APT Entertainment Inc and MZet Productions, under the direction of Jun Robles Lana.
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