Mikhail Red Is Directing the Live Action Adaptation of Filipino Graphic Novel Dreamwalker
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The action-fantasy graphic novel Dreamwalker, about a monster-slaying vlogger, is headed to the small screen, with Mikhail Red set to direct and relative newcomer Kate Valdez in the lead role.
According to Hollywood trade platform Variety, the upcoming TV series, which is based on the hit graphic novel from Mikey Sutton and Noel Layon Flores, will be produced by London and Singapore-based 108 Media. It’s targeted to be a “multi-season universe” which viewers can expect to see in early 2024. No word yet on which network or streaming platform the show will air.
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Dreamwalker tells the story of Filipino-American Kat, who gains the ability to enter people’s dreams after surviving a bus crash. She can also wield weapons to fight off supernatural beings from Filipino mythology.
In a 2022 interview with Business Mirror, Sutton said he was inspired to write Dreamwalker after watching Valdez’s performance in the GMA soap Onanay. Flores, who had built a name for himself for creating characters in shows like Encantadia and Mulawin vs Ravena, connected with Sutton and the two worked on the graphic novel project. Valdez also starred in the 2016 sequel to Encantadia.
“I randomly discovered Kate Valdez in 2018 while recovering from a near-fatal stroke,” Sutton said in a statement. “I saw her on the GMA drama ‘Onanay’ and her emotionally rich performance and timeless beauty made me declare her the Next Big Thing. I modelled and named ‘Dreamwalker’ after her.”
Red has built a reputation as one of the most talented young Filipino directors today, with critical and commercial hits like Birdshot, Rekorder, and Dead Kids.
Others involved in the Dreamwalker series according to Variety include Treb Monteras II as showrunner and director, Red is series director and Kaitlyn Fae Fajilan as head writer. Executive producers for the series are Justin Deimen (president of 108 Media), Monteras, Kirstie Contrevida (creative producer at 108 Media), Abhi Rastogi (CEO of 108 Media) and Sutton.
“The goal is to create an original mind-blowing and visually dynamic series that dives deep into the horrors in our dreams vs. the horrors of our world,” Monteras said. “We will utilize different mediums and techniques to create breath-taking designs that capture Philippine folklore’s intricate universe.”
