Netflix previews coming Pinoy-led films, series starring Kathryn Bernardo, Anne Curtis, James Reid, and more
Netflix has unveiled its 2026 slate of Pinoy-led films and series, which include Kathryn Bernardo and James Reid's TV comeback and a BuyBust sequel.
Coinciding with Netflix's 10th year in the Philippines, some of the biggest names in local entertainment gathered to give an exclusive taste of what to expect during the first-ever "Next on Netflix Philippines" on Feb. 9.
Opening the program, Netflix Philippines Content Lead Vitto Lazatin revealed that the platform would be releasing three series and two films for 2026. According to Lazatin, the move stemmed from a whopping 32 Filipino titles consistently charting among the platform’s Top Ten Non-English content lists for multiple weeks over the last few years.
What's next?
Someone, Someday
Kathryn Barnardo (Hello, Love, Again), Maja Salvador (The Killer Bride), and James Reid (Miss Granny) star in Someone, Someday, a love story with twists and touches of suspense.
The series will tell the story of a woman (Bernardo) who invents a dating app in hopes of moving on from a past that scarred her. Reid plays her friend, while Salvador is a woman with a secret. “
There are characters you’ll love and [other times] be frustrated by, which makes it exciting and relatable,” says Salvador, while Bernardo said that the characters are real and imperfect, “We want the audience to feel the authenticity, and see the flaws of the characters.”
BuyBust: The Undesirables
Erik Matti is back with BuyBust: The Undesirables, the action-packed sequel to his Anne Curtis starring-blockbuster from 2018. Joined by the returning Curtis and franchise newcomer Gerald Anderson (who’d previously appeared in Matti’s On the Job), Matti previewed a hard-hitting clip featuring anti-drug cop Nina Manigan battling her way out of her latest bad situation.
According to Curtis—who’s spent the last two years in physical and fight training for this sequel—Manigan goes through a “very emotional journey…she still fights for justice, and is out for revenge.”
18th Rose
Xyriel Manabat (Senior High) is starring in her first feature role in 18th Rose, presented by writer-director Dolly Dulu (Si Sol at si Luna).
A coming-of-age romance set in Romblon in the early 2000s, the film is described as a "dream come true" for Dulu, as it drew from her own experiences.
Meanwhile, Manabat expressed her excitement at being able to portray first love in a pre-social media age: “I believed [my character’s] story, so everything came naturally…it was magical.”
Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon
Next up were stars Jodi Sta. Maria (Labyu with an Accent) and Agot Isidro (Ten Little Mistresses), who spoke about their film, Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon, a family drama from director Cholo Laurel (Nasaan Ka Man).
For her role as the matriarch Paz, Isidro shared that her character is a complicated one.“[When] Direk Cholo sent me the script, [I thought] ‘How am I going to play her?’” Isidro didn’t have to look far, though, drawing from people in her family and friend circles to bring the character to life.
As for Sta. Maria, she expressed her hope that the film is able to reach “anyone who needs to heal, [and anyone] who is trying to justify that you need to forgive to be able to forget.”
Paskong Pinoy
Paskong Pinoy, a holiday anthology from director Mark Reyes (Voltes V Legacy, Encantadia), followed, led by a truly star-studded cast in the forms of Barbie Forteza, Enchong Dee, Rica Peralejo, Angelu De Leon, and Bobby Andrews.
“I’m a Christmas person,” laughed Reyes, before pointing out that, while people all over the world loved watching Christmas movies, this would be the first one specifically told from a Pinoy point of view.
The Paskong Pinoy cast drew additional attention for bringing Peralejo back to the screen after a decade away, a move made more meaningful by reuniting her with several of her T.G.I.S. castmates.
The Master Cutter
Moving on from the holiday feels, leading man Dingdong Dantes (Rewind, Firefly) took to the stage to showcase his upcoming action drama, The Master Cutter, where he will play a Baclaran-based tailor moonlighting as a bounty hunter.
According to director Dominic Zapata (Pulang Araw), the show was designed to showcase the often-invisible lives of people in everyday jobs, albeit “spiced up” with a lot of action. With his character being someone who goes into several undercover roles, Dantes said he relished the opportunity as a performer for the chance to do “acting within the acting” while appearing alongside the talented likes of Paolo Contis, Max Collins, and Sienna Stevens, and Jo Berry.
Balaraw
Balaraw, from director Rae Red (Birdshot) promises a haunting, atmospheric dive into family secrets by way of the supernatural. Red expressed excitement at being able to present viewers around the world with elements of Philippine folklore while exploring the darkness that lies in generational trauma.
Stars Janine Gutierrez (Babae at Baril), Charlie Dizon (Fan Girl), and Agot Isidro (again!), presented a clip from the series, wherein an unscrupulous boatman attempted to extort money from his passengers on their way to a mysterious island. Tense, gripping, and intense, the clip promised a show that wouldn’t hold back on putting its characters through the ringer.
With the lineup set and scheduled to hit the platform, Netflix definitively answered their own question of, “What Next?”. After yesterday’s presentation, it’s clear that viewers (wherever they may be) will be spoiled for choice to enjoy what Lazatin called, “stories for Filipinos, by Filipinos” through content featuring the best of local talent across genres, from drama and YA romance to psychological horror, action, and beyond.
