Bea Binene, Wilbert Ross lead ‘Pee Mak’ adaptation

Bea Binene and Wilbert Ross — dubbed as WilBea by fans — were cast as the leads of the Philippine adaptation of “Pee Mak,” a Thai film that originally starred Mario Maurer and Davika Hoorne.

Binene and Ross were announced as the leads of the Philippine adaptation at Viva One’s The Next Fan Takeover on Saturday, April 18, marking their first time to join forces in a film.

The announcement video was uploaded on Viva’s digital platforms a day later.

“Wilbert Ross and Bea Binene are ready to light up the BIG SCREEN like never before — handa na sila! The record-breaking Thai blockbuster comes to life in a whole new way…’PEE MAK’ — now reimagined for the Philippines,” the video’s description read.

Alden Richards and Julia Barretto were originally cast as the leads of the Philippine adaptation of the Thai film in early 2025, although it remains unknown why both actors decided to back out of the project.

Earning a Box Office total of $20.9 million, “Pee Mak” remains the highest-grossing Thai-made film of all time. The Rattanakosin Dynasty-set film tells the story of Mak (Maurer), who returns home from war and discovers that his wife Nak (Hoorne) has already passed away. Nak now lives as a ghost and is still devoted to her husband.

Since the film is rooted in Thai history and folklore, it remains unknown how some of its elements would be adapted for Filipino audiences.

Binene and Ross gained a dedicated fanbase after working together on “Golden Scenery of Tomorrow,” a series adaptation of the Wattpad novel by Gwy Saludes. It is also part of the author’s University Series.