Richard Gutierrez, Gerald Anderson, Barbie Imperial star in ‘Blood vs Duty’

April 2 ------ HIGH-energy action meets real-life chemistry in “Blood vs Duty,” as Richard Gutierrez teams up with Gerald Anderson for the first time and stars opposite his girlfriend, Barbie Imperial, in ABS-CBN’s latest primetime series.

The new action-drama, which premieres April 6 across ABS-CBN platforms after early streaming releases on Netflix (April 3) and iWant (April 4), brings together intersecting stories of law enforcers and community protectors caught in a crackdown on illegal firearms.

For Gutierrez, the project carries added weight as he leads a show in one of the network’s most competitive time slots. Before securing the 8 p.m. slot, the timeslot was initially occupied by Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino’s “The Alibi,” following the postponement of Coco Martin and Julia Montes’ upcoming series “Sigabo.”

“Since I moved to ABS-CBN, no male lead has really entered that timeslot yet, right? So now that a male-led show is finally going in — aside, of course, from Coco (Martin) — it’s a big challenge for us. We’re accepting that challenge, and we’re excited for the opportunity, but there’s definitely pressure,” he said during a press conference.

While there have been discussions about possible schedule changes once other programs are ready to air, Gutierrez said the cast remains focused on the present. “It was explained to us, but nothing is final yet. For now, we’re embracing where we are. We’re hoping people will like the show, and we’ll take it from there,” he said.

A major highlight of the series is his first collaboration with Anderson, whose energy on set, Gutierrez said, pushed him to keep up. “I get the energy from him, because Gerald is very energetic too. We were doing a fight scene early in the morning — he’s athletic, so I had to raise my game as well. When it comes to fight scenes and action, it’s all about giving it your all, no matter what time it is,” he shared. “It’s great working with Gerald. He’s such a team player. Like what he was trying to say, we support each other — we pass the ball, so to speak — and that makes things lighter in terms of pressure,” Gutie­rrez added.

Meanwhile, Anderson described their working dynamic as “So far, so good. It’s like I have a partner in crime. I came from ‘The Sins of the Father,’ which had an amazing cast and writers, but the weight was really on me. Now there are two of us.” “We had a fight scene — not the one in the trailer, but another one — and we finished it early. I thought we’d be exhausted because we were running and chasing each other all day. But his energy was still the same as it was at 8 a.m. When you get to work with people like that — not just him, but the whole cast — it makes everything worth it,” Anderson enthused.

Source: manilatimes.net