TBA Studios has released the first full trailer for Quezon, unveiling Jericho Rosales as Commonwealth-era leader Manuel L. Quezon and setting an October 15 theatrical debut in the Philippines. The historical drama completes director Jerrold Tarog’s long-planned “Bayaniverse,” following Heneral Luna and Goyo, and will roll out internationally after its local bow.
The footage frames Quezon’s rise as a high-stakes political contest rather than a marble statue biography. Scenes highlight clashes with U.S. Governor-General Leonard Wood, portrayed by Iain Glen, and a campaign showdown with Emilio Aguinaldo, played by Mon Confiado, as Quezon maneuvers allies and rivals on the road to the 1935 presidential election. Producer Daphne Chiu-Soon has said the creative goal is to humanize celebrated figures and invite audiences to interrogate leadership, a throughline that shaped the trilogy from the start.
An official synopsis positions the film after the revolution and during the American occupation, with Quezon “playing the brutal game of politics” to outflank Wood, Sergio Osmeña and the returning chronicler Joven Hernando, now seen across time by Arron Villaflor and Cris Villanueva. The ensemble includes Karylle as Aurora Quezon, Romnick Sarmenta as Osmeña and JC Santos as Manuel Roxas; Benjamin Alves appears as the young Quezon. TBA says the project received support from the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ CreatePHFilms program and is designed to work as a stand-alone entry for viewers who haven’t seen the prior films.
The trailer leans into populist image-making, with campaign filmmaking and staged spectacles set against quieter negotiation-room exchanges. Rolling reaction has centered on the decision to present Quezon as charismatic yet contested, echoing the series’ habit of reframing national icons as complicated operators within shifting power structures. The studio bills Heneral Luna as the country’s highest-grossing historical film and is using the finale to extend that audience base through student and teacher pricing to be announced ahead of release.
