There was already an eerie kind of excitement as Julia Barretto, Charo Santos-Concio, Tony Labrusca, and Christopher De Leon are officially stepping deeper into horror territory as the actress joins the cast of Knock Three Times, the upcoming Philippine horror film from acclaimed director Jerrold Tarog.

Created by filmmaker Real Florido and directed by acclaimed director Jerrold Tarog, Knock Three Times marks one of the first major projects publicly unveiled under CreaZion Studios. Florido, who also serves as the studio’s Chief Content Officer, joined the cast and production team onstage during the launch event as the film was formally introduced to cinema exhibitors and guests.

The project itself has already quietly built momentum over the past year after previously becoming a finalist at the EST N8 Horror Pitch during the Asia TV Forum & Market in Singapore, garnering international interest even before the film’s official cast reveal.

During the presentation, Christopher de Leon shared how excited he was to take on the role, jokingly clarifying to the audience that he was “buhay pa” before expressing enthusiasm over working alongside the cast. He also revealed that he had just wrapped Batang Quiapo, noting that Knock Three Times would showcase a completely different role for him.

Meanwhile, Charo Santos-Concio was feeling excited and nostalgic as she addressed the cinema exhibitors and guests at the event. The actress recalled reuniting with Christopher de Leon whom she fondly referred to as her “original love team” while also expressing anticipation about collaborating with Julia and Tony.

“We have a very exciting project, it’s a horror film,” Santos-Concio said during the launch.

But it was perhaps Julia Barretto’s visible excitement about the cast itself that became one of the event’s more memorable moments. Taking the stage, the actress admitted she almost wanted to stay seated as part of the audience because of how surreal the lineup felt to her.

“What a cast,” Barretto said. “I just feel truly honored to be part of this movie and to work with Ma’am Charo for the first time, Tito Chris [Christopher] for the first time.”

She also teased the film’s tone, describing Knock Three Times as “scary,” “thrilling,” and “horrifying”—promising audiences the kind of full-scale horror experience viewers would want to see in cinemas.

Best known for Heneral Luna and Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral, Tarog has often blended genre storytelling with layered emotional and political undertones, making Knock Three Times feel like a darker pivot into supernatural horror.

Meanwhile, Florido emphasized during the launch the importance of continuing to support Filipino filmmaking and strengthening the local industry through ambitious projects and collaboration between studios, creatives, and exhibitors.