MANILA, Philippines?Imus Productions, a film outfit founded by Ramon Revilla Sr., has tied up with ABS-CBN for a TV series about the superhuman characters that the former action star popularized in the ?70s, Kapamilya bosses announced last week.

Invincible powers

The network recently revealed the names of three actors who will portray Revilla Sr.?s most popular characters ? many of whom acquired invincible powers through an anting-anting (amulet).

Jake Cuenca will play Elias in the TV adaptation of the 1989 film ?Elias at Espiritu ng Paniki.? Gerald Anderson will resurrect the legendary Tiyagong Akyat (1973), while Coco Martin will reprise the role of Tonyong Bayawak (1979).

The action-adventure series, titled ?Agimat,? airs in August, said Rondell Lindayag, over-all in-charge of the creative department.

?It took two long years for this deal to be finalized. We?re happy that the network was able to act on our requests. Daddy is very pleased,? said Andrea Revilla-Yñares, Revilla Sr.?s daughter, at the recent press launch at the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City.

Yñares explained that part of the requests was for Revilla Sr.?s grandson, Jolo, to be cast in the series. The younger Revilla will portray Pepeng Agimat, from the film of the same title released in 1973.

Another request, Yñares reported, was for Marlon Bautista, Revilla Sr.?s eldest son and now head of Imus Productioins, to join the creative team behind ?Agimat.?

Lindayag said details concerning story treatment, as well as the final list of cast and production members, will be announced later this month. ?What?s certain is that we will stick to the original stories. Changes will be very minimal,? he stressed.

Ynares said his father, now 82 and who suffered a stroke early this year, is steadily recovering. ?Gusto na namin maniwalang may agimat nga s?ya. We never thought he?d survive that last stroke. He?s very strong. Soon he?d be able to walk.?

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