ABS-CBN coproduce Bagman spin-off with Dreamscape, Rein, Nathan Studios

Bagman spin-off show The Bagman

The international production division of Filipino broadcaster ABS-CBN is coproducing a spin-off to its digital series Bagman, having previously sold the original series to Netflix in the Philippines.

Philippine-based companies ABS-CBN International Production Division, Dreamscape Entertainment, Rein Entertainment and Nathan Studios will make The Bagman (8×60′) together.

Ruel S Bayani

Billed as ABS-CBN’s tentpole international coproduction for 2023, the series, which combines action, suspense and dark humour, has been unveiled ahead of Hong Kong Filmart next week by Ruel S Bayani, head of the broadcaster’s international production division.

The Bagman will star Arjo Atayde, reprising his character Benjo Malaya from the original Bagman series, which follows a neighbourhood barber who lands a job as the governor’s henchman and gets caught up in a dangerous web of crime, corruption and political turmoil.

Seasons one and two of the original digital series were sold to Netflix in the Philippines. The new show will pick up when Malaya learns the tragic news about his missing family and he is left with no choice but to return to the vicious underworld that he turned his back on.

It comes after ABS-CBN’s international production division launched the first-ever Filipino series at Mipcom last year, Cattleya Killer.

“Having had the privilege of being the first Filipino company to screen a series at Mipcom, we are honoured to be following up on the success of Cattleya Killer with our new premium drama series The Bagman. We continue to advocate Filipino representation in a manner that is engaging and entertaining in today’s global marketplace,” said Bayani.