- Matteo Guidicelli replaces James Reid
- Viva has chosen Matteo Guidicelli as the new Pedro Penduko.
Matteo Guidicelli has been chosen as the new Pedro Penduko, replacing James Reid.
In an article by Vinia Vivar for Philstar.com, she said the Viva has finally chosen James Reid’s replacement for the classic character of Pedro Penduko.
Citing an anonymous source, Vivar said Matteo was the lucky one to be reprising the iconic Pinoy comic hero.
According to the source, Guidicelli was a shoo-in for the movie because he’s already physically fit and needs just a little training for the role.
Viva has yet to announce the news but said that they will be coming up with the announcement very soon.
James Reid was originally set to do the film until he backed out last June 2019 citing a spinal injury.
For Matteo, this will be his first lead role after starring in several films and teleseryes doing co-lead and supporting roles.
Some of the most notable teleseryes that he did were Agua Bendita, Galema, Inday Bote, Dolce Amore, and the most recent Bagani.
Matteo also starred in the 2018 film Single/Single: Love Is Not Enough opposite Shaina Magdayao.
Recently, Matteo underwent Scout Ranger military training which can also be an advantage for his role in Pedro Penduko.
Pedro Penduko is a Pinoy comic book superhero created by National Artist for Literature Francisco V. Coching.
The first Pedro Penduko film was shown in 1954 with Efren Reyes Sr. taking the lead role. It was followed by two Pedro Penduko films starring Ramon Zamora in 1973 and 1974.
A modern version of the film was released by Viva in 1994 and 2000 starring singer-comedian Janno Gibbs.
Meanwhile, the first and only TV version of Pedro Penduko was produced by ABS-CBN via the show Komiks Presents. Matt Evans took on the role of Pedro Penduko on TV and was credited for giving Pedro Penduko the curly-haired image which eventually became a trademark of the character.
