'Sunshine' movie to be adapted into stage play with Maris Racal reprising role
Maris Racal is set to return to one of her most acclaimed roles as the 2024 drama film Sunshine makes its way from the big screen to the stage.
In a report by Deadline, Filipino filmmaker and producer Antoinette Jadaone announced that she is launching a slew of projects through a new production outfit, Ilaya Ilaya. One of these is an "immersive" stage adaptation of Sunshine.
However, Jadaone will not be occupying the director's chair this time. Instead, the play will be helmed by Mikko Angeles, who co-directed Bar Boys: The Musical. The script will meanwhile be written by Mika Regis, who made Unica Hijas.
Racal will once again return to play the titular character, marking her stage debut.
The news outlet detailed that the project is a "choose-your-own-adventure experience," where the audience is placed inside Sunshine's world by "expanding the film’s questions around agency, complicity, and choice beyond the screen."
“When you’re watching a film, you’re there to just watch Sunshine make decisions. But what if Sunshine’s story was something you could hold and influence as an audience member?” Jadaone said.
Details on when the play will premiere, as well as additional cast members, have yet to be disclosed.
Sunshine follows a teenage gymnast who discovers that she is pregnant just days before a major competition that could determine her future in the sport. As she grapples with the pregnancy, Sunshine is forced to confront the difficult choices surrounding her body, her dreams, and the future she had envisioned for herself.
The film premiered in 2024 at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival. Apart from Racal, it also stars Jennica Garcia, Elijah Canlas, Xyriel Manabat, and Annika Co.
