The film industry is no stranger to comedies that delve into serious and even heinous crimes. A dash of wild humor can often provide a unique way to navigate through seemingly insurmountable situations, laying the groundwork for what we know as dark comedy. Indeed, a sequence of unfortunate events has long been a staple for eliciting laughter. With this in mind, one might expect Ian Niles, in his third directorial endeavor, “Con Job,” to bring a novel or at least a digestible twist to the crime-comedy genre. Yet, disappointingly, the lack of innovation in the formula is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the multitude of problems plaguing his latest film. The whimsicality of “Con Job” can be thought of as both its best friend and the worst adversary.

The movie begins with a peculiar gathering. Chris, who is financially struggling, is friends with brothers Tim and Angus,...

Colm McCarthy’s “Bagman” (2024) is a story of childhood anxieties. It taps into the universal childhood fear, that lingering tale that weaves its web long into the years of adulthood, growing stronger as time passes. The fear of the subhuman monstrous entity, Bagman, is all too real more so because it gains a new meaning. The supernatural legend derives its meaning from real-world anxieties. The connotation gains more power when we understand that these tralatitious stories are not just gobbledygook meant to put children to sleep.

The article contains spoilers.

Bagman (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:

The film revolves around Patrick McKee, who works at his late father’s lumberjacking business, which his brother, Liam, now heralds. However, Patrick is inundated with loans for his ideas on the trailblazing but nonetheless debt-incurring tree trimmers that never see the light. Patrick and Liam share a close bond. Throughout the film, we see...

Two years ago, it was announced that Sam Claflin, who may be best known for playing Oswald Mosley on Peaky Blinders, Finnick Odair in the Hunger Games franchise, and Billy Dunne in Daisy Jones & the Six, had signed on to star in the supernatural thriller Bagman, from Hunger Games‘ home studio Lionsgate. The finished film received a theatrical release at the end of September, but it seems that few movie-goers noticed. Maybe Bagman will catch more attention now that horror fans will have the chance to watch it in their comfort of their own homes, as the film is set to receive a digital and VOD release this Friday, October 18th. It’s available for pre-order on Amazon, going for the price of $14.99.

Colm McCarthy, who previously directed The Girl With All the Gifts, the Krypton pilot, and the entirety of Peaky Blinders season 2, took the helm of Bagman,...

Neuer Stoff für Horrorfans. Leonine Studios hat den ersten Trailer zu dem Schocker „Bagman“ veröffentlicht, in dem Sam Claflin die Hauptrolle spielt.

Die Produzenten von „Smile“ und dessen Fortsetzung wissen, wie man effektiven Horror produziert. Das stellen sie nun auch mit „Bagman“ unter Beweise, der am 5. Dezember im Verleih von Leonine Studios in die deutschen Kinos kommen wird. Die Hauptrollen spielen Sam Claflin („Ein ganzes halbes Jahr“, „The Nightingale“, „Daisy Jones & the Six“) und Antonia Thomas („The Good Doctor“, „Misfits“). Regie führte Colm McCarthy („The Girl with All the Gifts”, „Black Mirror“).

Der Verleih verspricht „einen atmosphärisch dichten Film(…), der die Angst vor dem Unbekannten meisterhaft in Szene setzt und die Zuschauer in eine Welt zieht, in der die Vergangenheit einfach nicht ruhen will.“ Jetzt gibt es einen ersten Trailer.

Exclusive: Following its work on premium series The Bagman, Philippines production outfit Rein Entertainment is launching a slate of films and series here at Busan’s Asian Contents and Film Market (Acfm) headed by crime drama series Drug War: A Conspiracy Of Silence and Lino Cayetano’s ‘Neo-Western’ movie Salvageland.

Drug War: A Conspiracy Of Silence, directed by Shugo Praico, follows a sharp-minded priest from a privileged background who works with a conscience-stricken policewoman to uncover the circumstances behind the death of his missing protégé.

Currently in production, the 6 x 60-minute series stars Ian Veneracion, who won best actor at the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival for Rein Entertainment’s A Silent Night (Nanahimik Ang Gabi), also directed by Praico.

Salvageland stars Richard Gomez and Elijah Canlas in the story of an idealistic police officer and his father, a cynical veteran of the force. Father and son are forced to confront...

Lionsgate has been a perhaps unappreciated player in Hollywood over the last 20 years or so. The so-called mini-major studio isn't nearly as big as the likes of Disney or Warner Bros., for example, but it is out there getting it done. From launching franchises like "Saw" and "John Wick" to jump-starting the YA trend of the 2010s with "The Hunger Games," Lionsgate has quietly been the backbone that's made the industry healthier. Heck, it's even taken home media rights that other studios are happy to abandon, which helps keep the DVD/Blu-ray market alive. Unfortunately, things are not going particularly well for Lionsgate at the box office right now, to put it mildly.

The studio has released more than a dozen films in theaters in 2024 and the hits have been modest at best, whereas the flops have been rough. Recently, the comedic action flick "The Killer's Game," which stars Dave Bautista,...

Sunday Am: In an upset nobody saw coming, the third weekend of Warner Bros’ Beetlejuice Beetlejuice stole No. 1 away from Paramount and Hasbro Entertainment’s Transformers One, $26M to $25M.

On Friday and into Saturday Am, some saw a tight race between the Tim Burton-directed movie and the Josh Cooley-helmed animated pic, however, the notion was that matinees would work greatly in favor of the newer tentpole. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice had a great $11.8M Saturday to Transformers One‘s $9.1M.

At the end of the day, to see one franchise triumph over the other by a margin, well, that’s a rich man’s problem, err a major studio’s problem, though bountiful for exhibition. Threepeats are a great streak for any major studio to cherish at the B.O. Note, this is no doubt frustrating for Paramount Animation, which had a lot of faith in Transformers One as...

The name Blumhouse has become almost synonymous with horror in the modern era, thanks to the success of franchises such as "The Purge," "Paranormal Activity," and the recent "Halloween" reboot trilogy. That sort of brand recognition is tough to acquire in Hollywood. That said, the studio has had something of an off year, and could use an unqualified hit to get things back on track. It looks like the upcoming "Speak No Evil" remake could be that much-needed hit when it opens next weekend.

Director James Watkins' take on "Speak No Evil" is currently eyeing a debut in the $15 to $20 million range, per Box Office Theory. While the budget has yet to be revealed, Blumhouse rarely goes over $20 million since its business model has always been predicated on spending low to potentially hit it big. It worked with Jordan Peele's "Get Out," it worked with M. Night Shyamalan's...

In the dark horror film Bagman, a family finds themselves ensnared in a nightmare as they are hunted by a malevolent, mythical creature.

For centuries and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag—never to be seen again. Patrick McKee (Sam Claflin) narrowly escaped such an encounter as a boy, which left him with lasting scars throughout his adulthood. Now, Patrick’s childhood tormentor has returned, threatening the safety of his wife Karina (Antonia Thomas) and son Jake (Caréll Rhoden).

Directed by Colm McCarthy and written by John Hulme, Bagman is set for a release on September 20th, courtesy of Lionsgate.

Rachel Maddow is getting into the feature documentary business.

The MSNBC host has produced her first feature-length doc through her production banner Surprise Inside, with the cable channel acquiring the project. MSNBC will debut the film next month.

The film, From Russia With Lev, chronicles the scheme that led to former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. “It follows the much, much larger-than-life journey of Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian-born hustler and former small-time mafia operator whose random, almost accidental association with Trump and Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani took him around the world, and ultimately to prison,” per the logline.

The film will have its world premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, which is playing host to MSNBC’s Democracy 2024 event on Sept. 7. The premiere is one of the signature pieces of the event.

Billy Corben (Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami) directed the film, with Maddow serving as executive producer.

La leyenda del Hombre del Saco revive en este espeluznante filme dirigido por Colm McCarthy. © Lionsgate

Lionsgate ha desvelado el tráiler oficial de la película de terror Bagman, centrada en la leyenda urbana del hombre del saco.

Durante siglos y en todas las culturas, los padres han advertido a sus hijos del legendario Hombre del Saco, que arrebata a niños inocentes y los mete en su vil bolsa podrida para no volver a verlos jamás. Patrick McKee (Claflin) escapó por los pelos de un encuentro semejante cuando era niño, que le dejó cicatrices duraderas durante toda su vida adulta. Ahora, el atormentador de la infancia de Patrick ha regresado, amenazando la seguridad de su esposa Karina (Thomas) y su hijo Jake.

La película del director Colm McCarthy está protagonizada por Sam Claflin (Antes de ti) y Antonia Thomas (Misfits), con William Hope (Eric), Steven Cree (The Diplomat), Frankie Corio (Aftersun...

First came Baghead, now get ready for Bagman. Take a look at the first trailer for Colm McCarthy’s Bagman.

Lionsgate have released the first trailer for Colm McCarthy’s Bagman, which will find Sam Claflin tormented by a mystical, terrifying creature.

Take a look at the first Bagman trailer below.

Claflin is joined by The Good Doctor’s Antonia Thomas and Aftersun’s Frankie Corio in the film’s cast. John Hulme penned the script.

The legend of Bagman is deeply rooted in folklore. Many cultures have a version of the child-snatching monster, sometimes also called Sack Man. In the film, Claflin’s Ptsd-ridden Patrick is forced to confront the Bagman after narrowly escaping his grip as a child.

Credit: Lionsgate

As the trailer shows, the film has a folk horror feel to it and although it seems to borrow heavily from films like It, we’re hoping that...

You've heard of Candyman. You've heard of Batman. You've heard of Bicentennial Man. But did you ever hear of Bagman? A child-snatching nightmare figure from Latin American, Eastern European, Asian, and African folklore, the Bagman — or Sack Man, as he's sometimes known — is a Pennywise-like force of evil who takes innocent kids and stuffs them, well, in his bag. And he's the central figure looming over The Girl With All The Gifts director Colm McCarthy and writer John Hulme's aptly titled folk chiller Bagman, which is set to see Sam Claflin, Antonia Thomas (The Good Doctor), and Aftersun breakout star Frankie Corio among others come face to face with the eldritch terror. Watch the creepy first trailer below:

Dutch angles. Dark caves. Flickering lights. Rusty scissors. Creepy creaking sounds. Creepier dolls. Yup — consider us spooked! Now yes, this new trailer does play many of the folk-inflected horror hits, and yes,...

Sam Claflin as Patrick McKee in Bagman. Photo Credit: Vladislav Lepoev

In the dark horror film Bagman, a family finds themselves ensnared in a nightmare as they are hunted by a malevolent, mythical creature. For centuries and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag – never to be seen again. Patrick McKee (Sam Claflin) narrowly escaped such an encounter as a boy, which left him with lasting scars throughout his adulthood. Now, Patrick’s childhood tormentor has returned, threatening the safety of his wife Karina (Antonia Thomas) and son Jake (Caréll Rhoden).

Directed by Colm McCarthy and written by John Hulme, the film hits theaters on September 20.

McCarthy previously directed the 2016 post-apocalyptic film The Girl With All The Gifts. The film still sits at 85% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The cast of Bagman includes Sam Claflin, Antonia Thomas,...

A seemingly mythical monster becomes all too real for one unfortunate family in the chilling trailer and poster for Bagman, coming to theaters on September 20th from Lionsgate.

Synopsis: In the dark horror film Bagman, a family finds themselves ensnared in a nightmare as they are hunted by a malevolent, mythical creature. For centuries and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag—never to be seen again. Patrick McKee (Sam Claflin) narrowly escaped such an encounter as a boy, which left him with lasting scars throughout his adulthood. Now, Patrick’s childhood tormentor has returned, threatening the safety of his wife Karina (Antonia Thomas) and son Jake (Caréll Rhoden).

Lionsgate presents, in association with Media Capital Technologies, a Temple Hill production. Written by John Hulme. Directed by Colm McCarthy.

Directed by: Colm McCarthy

Written...

Boogiemen come in all shapes and sizes. They hide beneath your bed, lurk in shadows, and patiently wait to devour you from the depths of your closet. Children try to avoid them at all costs, but now and then, one is so determined to sink its pointed teeth into your tasty meats that it’ll ignore every ward and warning to claim its prize. Today’s Bagman trailer features a sinister ghoul who snatches children and stuffs them into a haunted bag, like Krampus’s kleptomaniac cousin.

Here’s the official synopsis for Bagman courtesy of Lionsgate:

In the dark horror film Bagman, a family finds themselves ensnared in a nightmare as they are hunted by a malevolent, mythical creature. For centuries and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag—never to be seen again.

He’s always closer than you think. Lionsgate has shared the official trailer and poster for Bagman, the dark horror film opening in theaters on September 20, 2024.

In the film, a family finds themselves ensnared in a nightmare as a malevolent, mythical creature hunts them. For centuries and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag—never to be seen again.

Patrick McKee (Sam Claflin) narrowly escaped such an encounter as a boy, which left him with lasting scars throughout his adulthood. Now, Patrick’s childhood tormentor has returned, threatening the safety of his wife Karina (Antonia Thomas) and son Jake (Caréll Rhoden).

The cast includes Sam Claflin, Antonia Thomas, Sharon D Clarke, Steven Cree, William Hope, Adelle Leonce, Peter McDonald, Henry Pettigrew, Caréll Rhoden, and Will Davis.

Bagman was directed by Colm McCarthy from a script by John Hulme.

"He really does exist..." "He always knows where to find you..." Lionsgate has unveiled the official trailer for a horror movie called Bagman, set to hit theaters nationwide this fall. From the same filmmaker behind the films Outcast and The Girl with All the Gifts, plus the "Black Museum" episode of "Black Mirror". When a sinister threat from his childhood returns to haunt him, a father desperately struggles against his deepest inner fear. Only this time, the fight isn't for himself; it's for his family. For centuries and across cultures, parents have warned children of the legendary "Bagman", who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag—never to be seen again. When the Bagman comes for his family this time, will he be able to get rid of him? From director Colm McCarthy, this horror movie stars Sam Claflin and Antonia Thomas, with William Hope, Steven Cree,...

Up next from The Girl with All the Gifts and Outcast (2010) director Colm McCarthy is Lionsgate’s supernatural thriller Bagman, which will release in theaters on September 20.

Watch the official trailer for Lionsgate’s Bagman below.

Sam Claflin (Last Night in Soho), Antonia Thomas (“The Good Doctor”), Sharon D. Clarke, Steven Cree, William Hope, Adelle Leonce, Peter McDonald, Henry Pettigrew, Caréll Rhoden, and Will Davis star in the supernatural thriller.

In Bagman, a family finds themselves ensnared in a nightmare as they are hunted by a malevolent, mythical creature.

“For centuries and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag—never to be seen again. Patrick McKee (Claflin) narrowly escaped such an encounter as a boy, which left him with lasting scars throughout his adulthood. Now, Patrick’s childhood tormentor has returned, threatening the safety...

Up next from The Girl with All the Gifts and Outcast (2010) director Colm McCarthy is Lionsgate’s supernatural thriller Bagman, centered around the return of a malevolent childhood nightmare personified.

Bagman is set to release in theaters on September 20, 2024.

Lionsgate has unveiled a creepy new poster for Bagman ahead of the film’s trailer launching next week. Check it out below.

Sam Claflin (Last Night in Soho), Antonia Thomas (“The Good Doctor”), Sharon D Clarke, Steven Cree, William Hope, Adelle Leonce, Peter McDonald, Henry Pettigrew, Caréll Rhoden, and Will Davis star in the supernatural thriller.

In Bagman, “a family finds themselves ensnared in a nightmare as they are hunted by a malevolent, mythical creature. For centuries and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag—never to be seen again. Patrick McKee (Sam Claflin) narrowly...

Sam Claflin and Rupert Friend will star in the World War II action thriller “Perdition” from writer-director Henry Dunham (“The Standoff at Sparrow Creek”).

Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will produce for Thunder Road Pictures, whose credits include the John Wick franchise, with Claflin executive producing.

Mister Smith Entertainment is launching international sales on the film at the Cannes Film Market with CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group co-representing North American rights.

The film, currently in pre-production, is scheduled to start principal photography this fall.

Set in December 1944 against the war-torn Belgian landscape as World War II pushes toward a brutal climax, “Perdition” follows the journey of a lone American soldier (Claflin), who miraculously survives a Pow camp execution. As he ventures into the bone-chilling landscape to save himself and a precious cargo salvaged from the camp, a ruthless Nazi SS officer on horseback (Friend) discovers his tracks...

Exclusive: US-based Filipino filmmaker Isabel Sandoval is returning to the Philippines to shoot her fourth feature, Moonglow, starring Arjo Atayde.

Sandoval, who is known for her award-winning 2019 feature Lingua Franca and directing series in the U.S., is scheduled to start shooting the noir crime thriller on April 9.

Set in 1970s Manila, the film follows a jaded female police detective, who unbeknownst to her colleagues is the mastermind behind a successful heist, but who is paired up with an obsessively truth-seeking detective partner to crack the very crime that she orchestrated.

The film is produced by Alemberg Ang of the Philippines’ Daluyong Studios, with Tan Si En of Singapore’s Momo Film Co, Takahiro Yamashita of Japan’s Yaman Films and Ria Atayde of the Philippines’ Nathan Studios.

Arjo Atayde also stars in upcoming Abs-cbn crime series The Bagman and has recent credits including psychological series Cattleya Killer...

One year after unveiling the ambitious project at Hong Kong’s Filmart project market, Philippine broadcaster-turned-content-producer Abs-cbn has started production on the crime thriller series The Bagman. The show began shooting in Manila on Feb. 25, according to the producers, and the project will be shopped to regional buyers at this year’s Filmart, which begins Monday.

The Bagman is a high-end TV spinoff of Abs-cbn’s popular streaming series Bagman, which ran for two seasons beginning in 2019 and was picked up by Netflix. Filipino actor Arjo Atayde (The General’s Daughter) is reprising his lead role as Benjo Malaya from the original show. John Arcilla (On the Job 2: The Missing 8, The Bourne Legacy) and Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo (Mindanao) also star.

The spinoff is said to have a significantly bigger budget, with ambitions to reach an audience beyond the Philippines. Abs-cbn’s producing partners on the title include Dreamscape Entertainment, Nathan Studios and Rein Entertainment.

A year after announcing the ambitious project, The Philippines Abs-cbn is now in production on new series “The Bagman.” Filming began in Manila on Feb. 25.

“The Bagman” is a spin-off from the original, locally-produced digital series “Bagman” that was aimed at the Filipino audience. The new series is intended as an international co-production. The Philippines companies already on board include Abs-cbn International Productions, Nathan Studios, Rein Entertainment and Dreamscape Entertainment.

The announcement was made by Ruel S. Bayani, head of Abs-cbn’s international productions division, and who will be attending FilMart, long with Tanya Bautista, creative producer of the show and Lea Dizon, Abs-cbn’s Los Angeles-based development executive.

“Abs-cbn’s track record as a storyteller and content creator is one of our key assets that makes us a solid partner in international co-productions, as seen in our growing slate of global titles. As a pioneer and leader in globalizing...

The Philippines’ Abs-cbn is to launch its new series “The Bagman” at next month’s Atf market in Singapore. Series star Arjo Atayde will attend as part of the promotional team.

“The Bagman” is a spin-off from the original, locally-produced digital series “Bagman” that was aimed at the Filipino audience. The new series is intended as an international co-production. The Philippines companies already on board include Abs-cbn International Productions, Nathan Studios, Rein Entertainment and Dreamscape Entertainment.

The original digital series, “Bagman 1 and 2,” which sold to Netflix Philippines, follows the story of Benjo Malaya, a neighborhood barber who landed a job as the governor’s henchman and gets caught up in a dangerous web of crime, corruption, and political turmoil.

In the new “The Bagman” series Malaya, now a convicted prisoner and former governor, learns tragic news about his missing family. He is left with no choice but to return to...

Philippines media and entertainment company Abs-cbn is set to launch tentpole co-production The Bagman at this year’s Asia TV Forum & Market (Atf) in Singapore, with the star of the series, Arjo Atayde, also attending the event.

Set to begin production in January, the eight-part action drama sees Atayde reprising his character Benjo Malaya from the original digital series Bagman 1 and Bagman 2, which were sold to Netflix Philippines.

The spin-off of the original digital series also stars John Arcilla, who won best actor at the Venice film festival for Erik Matti’s On The Job 2: The Missing 8, and Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, who won best actress at Cairo International Film Festival for Brillante Mendoza’s Mindanao.

The new series is co-produced by Abs-cbn International Productions, Nathan Studios, Rein Entertainment and Dreamscape Entertainment.

Atayde also previously starred in Abs-cbn’s hit crime thriller series Cattleya Killer and movies including Matti’s...

"Tell me about The Bagman!" Shout Studios has revealed a trailer for a kooky dark comedy / crime thriller mashup called The Kill Room, from a comedian-filmmaker named Nicol Paone. The Kill Room marks the first time Thurman and Jackson have teamed since their Oscar-nominated performances in Pulp Fiction (in 1994). The sneaky crime plot is about a hitman (Manganiello), his boss (Jackson), an art dealer (Thurman), and their money laundering scheme that accidentally turns the hitman into an overnight, avant garde art sensation (called "The Bagman"), forcing the dealer to play the art world against the underworld. Everyone eventually comes together for one big showdown at the most unlikeliest, yet perfect place for them - The Miami Art Fair. Uma Thurman stars with Joe Manganiello, Samuel L. Jackson, Debi Mazar, Maya Hawke, Dree Hemingway, Amy Keum, Candy Buckley, Larry Pine, Jennifer Kim, & Alexander Sokovikov. This actually looks like a clever riff...

Argentina, 1985 Leads 2023 Platino Awards Nominations

Santiago Miter’s political thriller Argentina, 1985 leads this year’s Platino awards nominations with 14 nods, including Best Director, Screenplay, and Best Ibero-American Fiction Film. Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s latest pic Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths trails with six nominations alongside Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The Beasts and Lullaby by Alauda Ruiz De Azúa. On the TV side, the Colombian series Noticia de un kidnapping also notched six noms. This year’s Platino awards take place on April 22 at the Ifema Municipal Palace in Madrid. Check out the full list of nominations here.

Aniventure Taps CAA animation specialist Joe Della Rosa

Aniventure, the London-based family-focused animation company behind productions such as Riverdance: The Animated Adventure and Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, has appointed CAA veteran Joe Della Rosa as its chief commercial officer. Della Rosa will oversee sales and the...

The Philippines’ former broadcasting heavyweight turned content producer Abs-cbn has set up a high-end TV spinoff of its popular digital series Bagman. Filipino actor Arjo Atayde will reprise his lead role from the original Bagman show, which ran two seasons beginning in 2019 and was picked up by Netflix.

The new series, titled The Bagman and running eight hourlong episodes, will be co-produced by Abs-cbn and other leading Filipino studios, including Dreamscape Entertainment, Rein Entertainment and Nathan Studios Inc. The show will be Abs-cbn’s tentpole offering to international buyers at the Filmart content market in Hong Kong, which kicks off Monday (March 13).

The original Bagman told the story of Benjo Malaya, a neighborhood barber who lands a job as the governor’s henchman and gets caught up in a dangerous web of crime, corruption and political turmoil. The new series returns to Malaya, now a former governor convicted of past...

Philippines media powerhouse Abs-cbn is launching “The Bagman” action drama series as a remake of its own “Bagman” digital production and will launch it at Hong Kong’s FilMart next week.

The original “Bagman,” which ran to two seasons and sold to Netflix in The Philippines, follows a neighborhood barber who lands a job as the governor’s henchman and gets caught up in a dangerous web of crime, corruption, and political turmoil.

That is a familiar story for Abs-cbn itself. The company was until 2020 The Philippines leading broadcaster. But it dared to criticize the policies of then president Rodrigo Duterte and found its TV licenses were not renewed. Since the loss of its TV broadcast operations, Abs-cbn has repositioned itself as a mass content company working as a producer with other producers and broadcasters and outputting news to its website, streaming service iWantTFC and YouTube channels. It also operates...