Liza Soberano, Shay Mitchell to voice Alexandra Trese in Netflix series

Filipino actress Liza Soberano has jumped from one Filipino comic book property to another.

Today Netflix has revealed the lead voice cast of Trese, the highly anticipated Netflix Original Anime series based on the Philippine graphic novel created by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo. Set in a Manila where the mythical creatures of Philippine folklore live in hiding amongst humans, the lead character Alexandra Trese finds herself going head to head with a criminal underworld comprised of malevolent supernatural beings.

Soberano (My Ex and Whys, Alone/Together) will voice Alexandra Trese in the Filipino language version of the series. A while back the actress was supposed to play the lead role in Erik Matti’s Darna film, before injuries made it impossible for her to continue training (the film has since been announced to have been turned into a TV series in development).

“It’s an honor to be the voice of an iconic character such as Alexandra Trese,” said Soberano. “I’m a huge fan of Budjette and Kajo’s award-winning Trese comics. Maraming salamat! Excited nako!”

Meanwhile Filipino-Canadian actress Shay Mitchell (YOU, Pretty Little Liars) will voice the 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,” said Mitchell. “Philippine folklore is rich and fascinating, and I am thrilled to be a part of the team bringing this story to life.”

The series is executive-produced by longtime animation director Jay Oliva (Wonder Woman, The Legend of Korra), and is produced by  Shanty Harmayn and Tanya Yuson at BASE Entertainment, a studio based in Jakarta and Singapore. Founded by partners, Aoura Lovenson Chandra, Shanty Harmayn, Ben Soebiakto and Yuson, BASE is focused on working with top creative talent to bring forward stories from Asia to the world. BASE’s slate of projects includes film as well as series for various platforms. Most recently, Joko Anwar’s film Impetigore from Indonesia, which had its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and took home the top prize at the Film Festival Indonesia, Guru-Guru Gokil which is a Netflix Film and the omnibus Quarantine Tales which was shot during the pandemic. Trese, based on the award-winning Philippine graphic novel is its first Netflix Original Anime series.

Speaking about the lead cast, Jay Oliva said, “As a fan of the komiks, I knew that the title role of Alexandra Trese was going to be challenging to cast for the animated series. It is important for the voice talent to embrace the layered character to fully become Alexandra Trese. 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. 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!”