ALDEN RICHARDS TAKES THE LEAP INTO INTERNATIONAL FILM PRODUCTION

IT LOOKS LIKE 2026 IS SET TO REVEAL a very different Alden Richards.

- By NATHALIE TOMADA

After more than 15 years of often playing the dependable main hero — the romantic lead, the overall good guy audiences root for — the Kapuso star is deliberately exploring unfamiliar and more challenging territory, both as an actor and as a producer, with the upcoming international film project “Big Tiger.”

“It’s all so new to me,” Alden admitted during a recent presscon. “I’ve been playing the protagonist for almost a decade in my career. I've been dreaming about playing this kind of role.”

In “Big Tiger,” which recently filmed scenes in the country, Alden departs from his usual clean-cut image to play a morally complex character in an action-driven story. While he remains tight-lipped about plot specifics, he confirmed the film required intense physical preparation.

“Marami,” he said of the action scenes. “(I did) arnis training, but it's actually meant for knife stunts.”

Apart from the physical training for the stunts, Alden worked closely with the film’s director and writer, American filmmaker Keoni Waxman, to “reshape” his instincts as an actor.

“In terms of prep, constant communication with our director-writer Keoni. A lot of questions on how he wants the character to be executed,” he shared. “And bringing back knowledge of different villains I've watched in the past, how to be different, how to make this (one) new.”