Isang Himala () is a 2024 Philippine musical drama film co-produced and directed by Pepe Diokno from a script he co-wrote with Ricky Lee. It is based on a 2018 theatrical play of the same name, itself an adaptation of the 1982 film Himala. With a large number of the cast originating from theatre, Aicelle Santos and Bituin Escalante reprised their roles from the musical, and the special appearance of Nora Aunor, who played Elsa in the aforementioned film.
Produced by Kapitol Films and UXS, with Creazion Studios handling the distribution, the film was theatrically released on December 25, 2024, as part of the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival. However, it was underperformed at the box office, failing to enter the Top 3 in the top-performing MMFF entries in box-office sales.
Premise Based on Nora Aunor's Himala, the film traces back the story of Elsa, a visionary turned faith healer of her town.
Cast Aicelle Santos as Elsa, a young woman in Cupang who allegedly saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Santos portrayed Elsa in the 2018 theatrical play directed by Ed Lacson Jr. and reprises the role in the 2024 musical film. Bituin Escalante as Aling Saling, Elsa's mother Escalante played the character in the 2018 play and reprises the role. Floyd Tena as a Priest. David Ezra as Orly, a skeptical journalist from Manila Neomi Gonzales as Chayong, a close friend of Elsa. Kakki Teodoro as Nimia, a close friend of Elsa. Vic Robinson as Pilo, Chayong's boyfriend. Joann Co as Sepa, a believer of the apparition
Nora Aunor, who starred in the 1982 film as Elsa, made a cameo appearance in a movie. A significant portion of the film's cast comes from a theatre background.
Production Isang Himala is a co-production of Kapitol Films and Uxs, Inc. Pepe Diokno will direct the feature film with the screenplay written also by him alongside Ricky Lee.
Isang Himala is based on the theatrical play, Himala: Isang Musikal, which premiered in 2018. The play itself was based on the 1982 film Himala which starred Nora Aunor and directed by Ishmael Bernal
The feature film was announced in July 2024 as one of the first five entries of the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival as a script submission.
Release
As one of the ten official entries of the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival, Isang Himala had its theatrical release in cinemas in the Philippines on Christmas Day 2024, with four cinemas on the first day and then six cinemas on the second day. The film also premiered at the Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) in Los Angeles on January 30, 2025.
Reception Box office It is one of the lowest-selling MMFF 2024 entries along with My Future You and Hold Me Close. The film was a box office bomb due to failed to hit box office hit sales and one of the underrated film of 2024. As of January 2, 2025, the film failed to enter the Top 5 and Top 3 in the top-performing MMFF entries in box-office sales.
Accolades + Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result 2024 50th Metro Manila Film Festival Best PictureIsang Himala Special Jury Prize Best Director Pepe Diokno Best Actress Aicelle Santos Best Supporting Actor David Ezra Best Supporting Actress Kakki Teodoro Best Screenplay Ricky Lee and Pepe Diokno Best Production Design Ericsson Navarro Best Sound Albert Michael Idioma and Emilio Bien Sparks Best Original Theme Song "Ang Himala Ay Nasa Puso" Best Musical Score Vincent de Jesus Best Visual Effects Engine Room and Green Maya
References
External links
Isang himala IMDb