It will open on Christmas Day 2026 and will feature some of the countries biggest stars.
On Tuesday, July 7, the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) officially named the first four official entries that will be participating in the upcoming 52nd edition that will be held from December 25, 2026 until January 2027.
The said group of movies is composed of projects starring some of the Philippines’ biggest and brightest stars.
In alphabetical order, the first movie confirmed for the MMFF is 2nd Miracle of Cell No. 7, which is the sequel to the 2019 blockbuster Philippine adaptation of the Korean movie Miracle In Cell No. 7 of Viva Films.
Lead stars of the first installment, Aga Muhlach and Xia Vigor, are set to reprise their roles in the sequel, while Nuel Naval has been named as its director.
Up next in the line-up is GMA Pictures’ comeback to the festival with Amir, which is set to be top-billed by Dennis Trillo and It’s Showtime child wonder Argus Aspiras.
In a post shared by the production company, the premise of the film was disclosed. “As darkness engulfs their village, young Amir (Argus Aspiras) and his father, Ali (Dennis Trillo), are thrust into a desperate fight for survival that will test their love, challenge their faith, and reveal the extraordinary strength found in family,” it read.
In Haunted Carnival, a powerhouse cast led by Maricel Soriano will bring spooky vibes to the festive season. The seasoned actress will be joined by other artists such as John Arcilla, Julia Barretto, James Reid, RK Bagatsing, Ronnie Alonte, and Fyang Smith.
The film is set to be directed by Joey De Guzman and is a production by Regal Entertainment.
Capping the first batch of four movies for this edition is the groundbreaking collaboration between Vice Ganda and Vic Sotto in The Greatest Showdown, which will be under the direction of Jun Robles Lana.
The comedy movie, which will follow a contemporary neighborhood, is a co-production venture between ABS-CBN Studios, Star Cinema, The IdeaFirst Company, MZet Productions, and APT Entertainment.
Meanwhile, it was also confirmed by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman that the ticket prices to the forthcoming edition had been capped at PHP299 across cinemas, with some operators given the choice to price lower than that.
The 51st MMFF ran from December 2025 and was extended to run until January 14 due to strong demand. Previous entries are Bar Boys: After School, Call Me Mother, I’mPerfect, Love You So Bad, Manila’s Finest, ReKonek, and Shake, Rattle, and Roll: Evil Origins.
