Ella Arcangel: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko

Ella Arcangel: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko
Teaser poster
Directed by	Mervin Malonzo
Written by	Mervin Malonzo Julius Villanueva
Based on	Ella Arcangel by Julius Villanueva
Produced by	Manny Angeles Avid Liongoren
Production companies	GMA Pictures Twenty Manila Haliya Publishing Rocketsheep Studio
Distributed by	GMA Pictures
Release date	2026 (2026)
Country	Philippines
Language	Filipino

Ella Arcangel: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko, also known as Ella Arcangel: Ballad of Tooth and Claw in English, is an upcoming Philippine adult animated urban fantasy supernatural horror film based on a 2017 komik Ella Arcangel by Julius Villanueva. The film revolves a young mambabarang named Ella, who has a supernatural abilities with dark magic to fight both humans and mythical monsters in the city to protect her community.

The film is directed by Mervin Malonzo in his directorial debut, co-written with Villanueva, with Manny Angeles and Avid Liongoren served as producers under Rocketsheep Studio. It is the first animated feature film co-produced and distributed by GMA Pictures, slated to release theatrically on an unspecified date of 2026. ^[1]

Premise

Ella Arcangel, a 12 year old girl from the slums of Manila, succeeds her grandmother in battling supernatural entities that trouble the community. As Ella grapples with her new role, a monster surfaces and becomes the likely culprit to the death of the family of her playmate. Meanwhile, the government’s drug war presses on – making Ella question who she’s really up against and who the real monsters are.

—  QCinema International Film Festival ^[2]

Production

Development

Awit ng Pangil at Kuko was announced as a next project after the May 2020 short film Ella Arcangel: Oyayi Sa Dilim. It was a collaboration between Ella author Julius Villanueva and Tabi Po creator Mervin Malonzo. ^[3] In August 2020, Oyayi Sa Dilim was described as the "first episode" of an animated series with works on the "second episode" already ongoing. ^[4]

In September 2021, it was announced that the potential second episode shifted to full feature film based on Ella Arcangel Tomo 2: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko due to longer length from the komik, which was on the works after the duo revealed they received a grant from the Film Development Council of the Philippines was secured. ^{[3] [5]} The premise of Ella Arcangel:Oyayi Sa Dilim served as the basis for the feature film, expanded from the first volume of the komik.

The animated feature film was unveiled as a part of QCinema Project Market Selections in 2023. ^[6]

References

1. "GMA Pictures to produce 'Ella Arcangel' animated film set to drop in 2026". GMA News Online. October 25, 2025. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
2. "Ella Arcangel: Ballad of Tooth and Claw". QCinema International Film Festival. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
3. "Filipino comic book 'Ella Arcangel' will soon be an animated film". Rappler. September 28, 2021. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
4. Ilo, Rebekah (August 1, 2020). "Traversing Worlds with Ella Arcangel". Philstar Life. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
5. Godinez, Bong (September 27, 2021). "Pinoy horror-fantasy comic book 'Ella Arcangel' to be adapted into animated film". GMA News. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
6. Frater, Patrick (October 11, 2023). "QCinema Project Market Unveils Twenty Films in Development". Variety. Retrieved October 25, 2025.