Multimedia artist Qymira has been tapped to headline ‘Lotus,’ an upcoming international action thriller from Hong Kong-based ACT3 and Philippine production company Blackops Studios Asia.
The film will be directed by award-winning Filipino filmmaker Pedring A. Lopez, known for action films such as ‘Maria’. Principal photography is scheduled from September to October 2026 in Manila, with additional scenes to be filmed in Brazil.
Qymira will star alongside Academy Award-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr., as well as Luke Ford, Keith Duffy, actor-producer Cristian Lavin, Brazilian actor Alberto Cowboy, and a cast of Filipino performers.
The UK-based, Hong Kong-born artist previously worked with Lopez in the 2025 film ‘Shadow Transit’. Reflecting on their latest collaboration, Qymira said she is excited to take on a bigger production.
“The film is bigger, darker, and even more ambitious, and I’m excited to be part of a story that connects Manila and Brazil in that visceral way.”
Lotus marks the first project under a multi-year, five-film partnership between ACT3 and Blackops Studios Asia, which is co-owned by Lopez. The project was introduced to international buyers and distribution partners during the Cannes Film Market.
According to the producers, the film also marks Cuba Gooding Jr.’s first major project to be filmed in both the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
The screenplay was co-written by Pedring Lopez and his longtime collaborator Rex Lopez, who also serves as producer alongside Maia Yambao-Lopez. Leslie Loh is the executive producer for ACT3, while award-winning cinematographer Noel Teehankee has joined the production as director of photography.
Beyond Lotus, the ACT3–Blackops Studios Asia collaboration includes the planned action epic ‘A Thread of Steel’, which is currently slated to begin production in 2028.
