Kate Valdez to play monster slayer in Mikhail Red’s ‘Dreamwalker’

Kate Valdez (L) and Mikhail Red

“She has the look of a badass heroine,” said award-winning filmmaker Mikhail Red of his newest muse, Kate Valdez, who will play a monster-slaying vlogger in the live-action TV series adaptation titled “Dreamwalker.”“I haven’t worked with Kate yet, but I’ve seen some of her work online. She definitely has a magnetic presence, and her physique seems like she will be able to handle the challenges of the role,” Red told Inquirer Entertainment over a chat recently. “Just images of her power stance in the comic art is enough to sell the character. I see why she was chosen to play Kat.”Based on an original concept by Filipino-American pop culture vlogger Mikey Sutton, the first season of “Dreamwalker” focuses on the origin story of protagonist Kat, who returns to the Philippines under mysterious circumstances and survives a bus crash to find herself gifted with the ability to enter the dreams of others. She can also extract weapons temporarily to wield against supernatural beings from Filipino folklore as she investigates the source of the monster wave while attempting to help those affected by the looming threat.

‘A badass heroine’

“There is that combination of toughness and elegance in her, and she has the look of a badass heroine that anyone can root for. Her eyes also give off that intensity and you know there is greatness in her destiny. She embodies the Filipino heroine who will overcome adversity. This should be a very interesting and fun collaboration,” Red pointed out.

Sutton, who conceptualized and wrote the comics, is ecstatic about the choice of Valdez as his “Dreamwalker.” He pointed out: “I randomly discovered Kate in 2018 while recovering from a near-fatal stroke. I saw her in the GMA drama, ‘Onanay,’ and her emotionally rich performance and timeless beauty made me declare her as the next big thing. I modeled and named ‘Dreamwalker’ after her.”Upon learning that the graphic novel ‘Dreamwalker’ would become a TV series, and that she was chosen to be the one to portray the heroine, Valdez said she kept pinching herself. “I didn’t expect I’d be a part of it. I’m honestly so excited, nervous and grateful to Mikey and everyone in the project for believing in me, for including me in this major TV project that aims to get global audiences more exposed to Philippine culture and stories,” Valdez said in a statement.

Asked how Red intends to make the story—which teems with Filipino folklore and sensibilities—appealing to the international audience, the filmmaker replied, “Filipino folklore and its creatures are wildly imaginative in design and mechanics, something you don’t see with the typical western folklore creatures that are more animalistic.

“Plus, our culture’s fascination with the supernatural, spiritual and fantastical gives us an interesting edge in setting and tone. It will be fun for international audiences to discover this through ‘Dreamwalker.’”

Red has just come off the success of his box-office thriller, “Deleter,” starring Nadine Lustre. To those who are fans of his previous works (“Birdshot,” “Eerie”), what can they expect to see from ‘Dreamwalker’ with him as its director?

“I always lean heavily on mystery and the heroine’s journey. My previous work always has a crime and mystery element to it, with moments of horror. Even in my earlier work like ‘Birdshot,’ there are always touches of magical realism and horror,” Red began. “There is also an investigative angle, an unveiling of a deeper mystery, as well as beats of action, these are all things I enjoy filming, and with the expertise of headwriter Kaitlyn (Fae Fajilan) and showrunner Treb (Monteras II), I’m sure we can craft something that is appealing to a broad audience.”

Exploring new technology

Red said he would also “explore new technology to create a well-crafted and polished genre project that can have export quality and meet the expectations of international audiences when it comes to a comic book-to-live action adaptation like ‘Dreamwalker.’ We have strong source material from Mikey, and I am confident that we can make a faithful adaptation that will be a joy to direct and craft.”

On seeing the potential of the series as a new touchpoint for Southeast Asian genre fare, executive producer Justin Deimen, also president of lead production outfit 108 Media, said: “The moment we heard about the concept, we knew how far this could travel. The project will be a focal point for Filipino talents across the globe and delivers cultural storytelling in a fresh and commercial way.”

Meanwhile, Monteras said he was particularly struck by the potential of the series to showcase a new aesthetic, style and tone. “The goal is to create a mind-blowing and visually dynamic original series that dives deep into the horrors in our dreams versus the horrors of our world.”

108 Media is also in preproduction on its feature adaptation of the hit novel “Mango Bride,” with seasoned actress Sharon Cuneta as executive producer and lead star. INQ