DINGDONG Dantes in “Alyas Robin Hood”
As the saying goes, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” And that is exactly how director Dominic Zapata is taking the ruckus surrounding his latest project, the GMA 7 television series “Alyas Robin Hood,” which was recently criticized online for allegedly ripping off the American superhero show, “Arrow.”
The 15-second teaser for “Alyas,” which stars Dingdong Dantes, was met with mixed reactions and quickly went viral on Facebook late last month, after netizens—many of them comic book fans—pointed out similarities between the two programs, from the costumes to the overall vibe.
“When I found out from my executive producer that there was an issue, my first reaction was, ‘Really? Yes!’ When he said he didn’t think that the attention the video was getting was all that positive, I told him that it was OK. Bad or good, publicity is publicity,” he told reporters at the press conference for “Alyas” (weeknights, starting Sept. 19). “We are not doing anything wrong.”
The controversy blew up further when “Arrow” lead actor, Canadian Stephen Amell, reposted the “Alyas” teaser on Facebook, with a “flushed-faced” emoji.
Zapata, who maintained that he has yet to watch a single episode of “Arrow,” said that “Alyas” receiving such kind of exposure beats having no hype at all.
“The video logged 1 million views. We can never generate this sort of publicity on our own,” said the Kapuso television and film director, adding that the green lighting used in his teaser was not inspired by “Arrow’s,” but was a mere inside joke between him and Dingdong.
“I am from La Salle, while Dingdong is from Ateneo. I wanted to poke fun at him by making him look like a green archer without him realizing it,” he related.
Zapata also stressed that, whatever incidental similarities both programs may have, could be simply attributed to the fact that they share “the same source material”—the centuries-old tale of the English hero/vigilante Robin Hood.
In “Alyas,” Dingdong plays a lawyer, Pepe de Jesus, who grew up defending the oppressed, and those who have lost faith in the justice system. He is framed for the murder of his own father, Jose (Christopher de Leon). For this, Pepe plans to exact revenge.
“I do not think people can base opinions off a 15-second video. If they watch the show, they’ll realize that nothing could be further from the truth,” Zapata said. “The story is different.”
Dingdong, like his director, opted to see the good in the bad. “We are grateful … We’re glad that the thing we worked hard for is being shared with more people,” said the actor, who puts his complete trust in his home network. “I’m confident that whatever project they give me has undergone stringent research.”
E-mail apolicarpio@inquirer.com.ph