‘Rosario’ first PH film to screen in cinemas after a month of foreign content

The cast of the upcoming horror film “Rosario” is hoping moviegoers will support the film as it becomes the first Filipino movie to open in Philippine cinemas after nearly a month dominated by foreign releases.

Speaking to reporters during the film’s red carpet premiere on Monday, Aug. 3, the cast expressed both excitement and optimism ahead of its nationwide release on Aug. 5.

“I hope our fellow Filipinos will support us. Wala naman tayong ibang hanggad kung hindi bumalik ang pelikulang Pilipino,” Jairus Aquino said.

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Lead star Aubrey Caraan admitted feeling both honored and anxious as “Rosario” enters a competitive box office landscape.

“We’re honored and at the same time nervous kasi sana mapili ’yung pelikula namin kasi marami rin ang foreign films. I hope mabigyan ng chance ’yung film namin,” she said.

Lance Carr, meanwhile, thanked those who attended the premiere including fellow Viva Artists Marco Gallo, Heaven Peralejo, and Nicole Omillo, among others.

“Sa dami ng tao na nakita namin ngayong premiere night nakakataba ng puso, hopefully in the coming days, marami pang manood ng pelikula namin sa sinehan,” he said.

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LOOK: The cast of the horror movie “Rosario” led by Aubrey Caraan, Lance Carr, Jairus Aquino, Meg Imperial, and Rose Van Ginkel, pose for photos during the film’s red carpet premiere on Monday night, Aug. 3, in Quezon City. The film premieres in cinemas on Aug. 5. | @JessEINQ pic.twitter.com/b23YNnM7Fx

— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) August 3, 2026

“Rosario” arrives after several weeks in which Philippine cinemas were led by major international releases, including Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” which opened locally on July 15 and topped the domestic box office during its opening weekend, and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which premiered on July 29 and went on to earn a record-breaking ₱586.9 million in its first five days in the Philippines.

The film’s release also comes just ahead of the 22nd Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, which will run from Aug. 6 to 18 and will showcase a lineup of locally produced films.

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Directed by Roni S. Benaid, “Rosario” follows Beth (Caraan), a young woman who returns home after her mother’s death and reunites with her estranged sister Ave (Yumi Garcia). Their Aunt then places a rosary in the hands of the sisters’ deceased mother.

As relatives gather to mourn, the family forgets to follow the traditional folklore that says a rosary inside a coffin must be cut before burial to avoid binding the living to death. So it pushes the siblings to confront not only a supernatural threat but also the secrets buried within their family.

Aside from the aforementioned, the horror film also stars Meg Imperial, Rose Van Ginkel, Bernadette Allyson, and Suzette Ranillo. /edv