MANILA – A social media tirade against actress Lovi Poe from director and producer Erik Matti has caused a group of talent managers to rally behind the actress.
Poe starred in Matti’s 2012 movie, ”Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles,” and was likewise cast for the film’s sequel, ”Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles’;” but Matti claimed that it was difficult for them to get Poe to return to the film despite a ”solid contract”.
”For months now, we, the producers and the production have been struggling to negotiate with Lovi and her managers to shoot the opening sequence. Over a month ago, we got word that she does not want to do it because it was just for two days. We dangled every possible option just to get her to agree with us EVEN WHEN WE HAVE A SOLID CONTRACT TO HOLD HER UP TO THIS 2nd film, but she and her manager Leo Dominguez still said no. (Even if, by the way, our new lead actress, Isabelle Daza is also coming from the same manager),” Matti said in a Facebook post.
According to Matti, his camp exhausted all means possible to get Poe back to the movie, but their efforts were to no avail
”The final straw that made us decide it would be impossible to get Lovi Poe to do the role was when they said yes but demanded a ridiculous amount of money for it. There I realized, (Filipino expletive omitted), wala talagang plano ‘tong Lovi na ‘to na gawin ‘tong sequel. Huhuthutan lang kami nito na parang nangongotong na pulis!”’ the irate Matti added.
The Professional Artists Managers, Inc. (PAMI) said that they did not approve of Matti’s social media post, as they criticized the director’s choice of words. The group further stated that Matti’s statement was ”arrogant and reckless.”
”After careful deliberation, PAMI expressed its support to Dominguez and condemned the reckless, arrogant, and vulgar statements of Matti in his social media account,” the statement read; referencing Leo Dominguez, Poe’s talent manager and a PAMI member.
Matti’s actions were defended by Dondon Monteverde, who cited the director’s right to express his own opinion.
In a post on his Facebook page, Monteverde said: ”I totally understood what Erik felt when he posted that Facebook complaint about Lovi and Leo. The Aswang Chronicles is blood, sweat and tears not just for me and Erik, but for everyone involved in it.”’
”As for the final words of Erik Matti that I do not wish to repeat again, I always put in perspective what I learned from the best. My mother, Mother Lily, is all heart when it comes to fighting for her passion and her right. Something wrong was done to me and Erik as producer and director. I totally respect the opinion of my friend, Erik. What he said may be a bit harsh, but he has every right to his freedom of expression. To some, or to most even, it may be unpopular, but his honest, irreverent burst of anger straight from the heart, is something that I fully respect.,” he added.