Erik Matti’s ‘On the Job’ sequel set for release in June 2019

December 12, 2018 - 6:33 PM
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On the Job Interaksyon
Joel Torre played an assassin known as "Tatang" in the 2013 action film "On the Job." (Reality Entertainment/released)

Director Erik Matti has revealed that a sequel to his hit 2013 action film “On the Job” is set to be released in June 2019.

Matti confirmed the release of a full-length sequel to his hit action thriller is in the works in a recent interview with Variety. The film is expected to be released on June 12, 2019.

The film will be followed by a five-part series, as was previously announced. News of a full-length movie sequel came out as early as April 2017 but the direction the franchise would take was yet to be confirmed.

The reported cast of “On the Job 2” includes includes Dennis Trillo, Lotlot de Leon, Ricky Davao, William Martinez, John Arcilla, Dante Rivero, Vandolph Quizon, and Eric Fructuoso.

Musical director Erwin Romulo, who also worked with Matti on the 2018 hit “BuyBust,” said in an interview with GMA News that the second “On the Job” movie was the acclaimed filmmaker’s “angriest” work.

Next in line

The first “On the Job” film starred Joel Torre and Gerald Anderson as a pair of assassins, Piolo Pascual as a National Bureau of Investigation agent on their trail and Joey Marquez as a rank-and-file policeman working with the NBI.

Its ensemble supporting cast included veterans such as Shaina Magdayao, Michael de Mesa, Leo Martinez and Angel Aquino.

The movie won numerous accolades and was praised by international critics. It has a 93 percent rating on movie review website Rotten Tomatoes.

It was screened at the 17th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea, where Torre was awarded Best Actor and the film received the jury award.

On the Job was later screened at the Cannes Film Festival, where critics praised its action sequences, visuals and music direction.

Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur later announced plans to remake the film. Whether the remake pushed through has yet to be confirmed.

Matti followed up “OTJ” with two more action-thrillers: “Honor Thy Father” in 2015 and “BuyBust” in 2018.

“BuyBust” like On the Job was a hit with critics from around the world, praised for its intense action sequences, masterful cinematography and willingness to tackle the topic of the Philippines’ war on drugs.

Matti said in 2017 that his busy schedule was the reason for the delayed release of the “OTJ” mini-series sequel. In August 2018, he resigned from his work on a live-action movie on popular Filipino comic book hero Darna.