Actors Elijah Canlas and John Arcilla. Ganiel Krishnan, ABS-CBN News
MANILA -- Award-winning actors Elijah Canlas and John Arcilla are bringing a complicated father-and-son relationship to the big screen in the upcoming Filipino action-comedy and suspense film “HB2ME.”
Written and directed by Veronica Velasco, “HB2ME” is set to open in cinemas nationwide on August 19, 2026.
Canlas, who plays Arcilla’s son in the film, said he was immediately drawn to the project because of its original concept and the opportunity to work with Velasco.
“It’s an original concept written and directed by Veronica Velasco, who I’m a fan of as well,” Canlas said.
The story follows a young man whose father has made a tradition out of pranking him every year on his birthday. But when one prank goes too far, their seemingly playful relationship takes a different turn.
“It’s about this kid that gets pranked by his father every birthday of his. So, when he crossed the line in one of his pranks, he’s going to get a little bit of revenge,” Canlas teased.
Canlas also described sharing the screen with Arcilla as both an “honor and a privilege,” calling the veteran star one of the country’s greatest actors.
“Being able to witness him work up front, in the flesh, and sharing the scenes with him, it’s very collaborative,” he said.
According to Canlas, he and Arcilla share a similar commitment when it comes to their craft.
“He really takes his work seriously. So I’m not lacking in that aspect because I am the same,” Canlas said.
Arcilla, meanwhile, said the movie goes beyond its action, comedy and suspense elements by tackling the relationship between parents and their children, particularly when their values begin to clash.
“Yung relationship ng parent and children, kahit gaano mo kamahal ang anak mo, ang mali ay mali,” Arcilla said.
For the actor, love for one’s family does not automatically make a parent’s decisions right, especially when children grow up developing values different from those of their parents.
“May mga values kasi yung magulang na parang in contrast with the values of the kid,” he explained.
Arcilla stressed that while some of the examples he raised, including children benefiting from questionable sources of wealth are not directly part of the film’s storyline, they illustrate the larger moral conflict at the heart of “HB2ME.”
“So parang ang lesson is kahit gaano mo kamahal ang anak mo, pag mali ang resources mo, mali ka pa rin,” he said, describing the film’s themes as timely.
Canlas is also keeping himself busy with work as he prepares to celebrate his birthday.
The actor revealed that he is flying to Finland to shoot another movie under MavX Productions, although he remained tight-lipped about details of the project.
“I’m actually going out of the country tomorrow. I’m going to Finland tomorrow. The team is already there,” he shared.
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Canlas said he has yet to hold an advanced birthday celebration because of his packed work schedule.
“Wala, wala pang advanced celebration. Maybe pagbalik, kasi puro trabaho,” he said.
Before leaving the country, Canlas also made time to catch Cinemalaya films, saying he wanted to support Philippine cinema before heading abroad for his next project.
“HB2ME,” directed by Veronica Velasco, opens in cinemas nationwide on August 19, 2026.