ACTRESSES Liza Soberano and Shay Mitchell have been cast to voice supernatural detective Alexandra Trese in the upcoming Netflix original anime series “Trese.”
Soberano and Mitchell will be lending their voices for the titular character of the highly-anticipated anime series, Netflix Philippines announced on Monday, March 8.
The series is based on the Philippine graphic novel created by Budjette Tan and KaJO Baldisimo.
“Call Alexandra… cause I’ve got news. It’s official, @lizasoberano [and] @shaymitch are Alexandra Trese!!! May strong women always lend a voice to one another, especially when there’s an aswang or two around. Happy International Women’s Day,” the streaming platform said in a tweet.
Soberano will voice Alexandra Trese in the Filipino language version of the series. She took to Twitter to share her excitement over the project.
“Screaming on the inside!!!!!! It’s an honor to be the voice of an iconic character such as Alexandra Trese. I’m a huge fan of Budjette and KaJO’s award-winning Trese comics.
Maraming salamat! Excited nako (Thank you so much! I’m excited)!” she said.
Filipina-Canadian Mitchell, who previously starred in “Pretty Little Liars” and Netflix’s “You,” will voice the female lead character in the English version.
“I’m so excited to be a part of a unique and amazing project like Trese, and to voice a character as brilliant as Alexandra Trese. Philippine folklore is rich and fascinating, and I am thrilled to be a part of the team bringing this story to life,” she said.
“Trese” tells the story of Alexandra Trese, who protects Manila from threats of the supernatural kind such as tikbalang and kapre. It is executive produced by Jay Oliva and produced by Shanty Harmayn and Tanya Yuson of BASE Entertainment, a Jakarta and Singapore-based studio.
Oliva, a Filipino American, is an executive producer, director, and showrunner for several animated series as well as the founder and CEO of Lex and Otis animation studio. He directed “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” 1 and 2, and worked as a storyboard artist for live-action films such as “Man of Steel.”
In a release to the media, he admitted that casting Alexandra Trese was going to be challenging.
“It is important for the voice talent to embrace the layered character to fully become Alexandra Trese,” he said.
“My concerns went away as soon as Shay Mitchell stepped into the recording booth.
Shay’s Alexandra exceeded my expectations and she delivers a performance of strength, determination and family duty that is at the very core of the character,” he added.
Oliva also praised Soberano’s casting, saying he was a “big fan” of hers.
“If that wasn’t enough, imagine my delight when we confirmed Liza Soberano joining the Filipino voice cast! I am a big fan of hers and she fits the character so well. Having Liza play Alexandra Trese for the series makes this project even more special to me and my team!” he said.
“Trese” will be released on Netflix later this year.
