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| (From aleft) Gab Lagman, Hyacinth Callado, Derick Cabrido, Atasha Muhlach and Jairus Aquino |
Everything is set for the July premiere of the Philippine adaptation of “Bad Genius: The Series” – an exciting offering from Studio Viva, showing exclusively on Viva One.
Originating in Thailand, “Bad Genius” was first shown as a movie in 2017, telling the story of a straight-A student who devises a scheme to cheat exams. It has become one of the most internationally successful Thai films of all time. In 2020, it was made into a series that was awarded Best TV Drama Series and Best Screenplay.
The concept and the execution of “Bad Genius” were pure genius that it inspired international adaptations. The first came in 2023 with the release of the Indian-Hindi language heist thriller called “Farrey”. After Bollywood, the Hollywood version followed in October 2024. Both movies were lauded for being suspenseful and entertaining.
And now, we can finally –and proudly— claim our very own “Bad Genius”. The spotlight is on the multitalented showbiz royalty, Atasha Muhlach, as she takes on the lead role of Lin. Guided by award‑winning and blockbuster director Derick Cabrido (Mallari, Clarita), Atasha is ready to show her acting prowess.
Going “bad” with Muhlach are Jairus Aquino in the role of Bank, Gab Lagman as Pat, and Hyacinth Callado as Grace. All three have already worked together in successful Viva One series, “Safe Skies, Archer,” “Chasing in the Wild” and “Avenues of the Diamond” -all part of a Wattpad phenomenon called “University Series”.
At the cast reveal/story conference held last March, the four main cast shared their reaction when they got their roles.
Atasha Muhlach recalled that it was a “surreal moment” that she couldn’t help but shed happy tears. “Super grateful ako. This is my first, so (I’m) honored to have such a great project with a great team,” she said, and promised to give her 100%. “This (acting) is something I’ve been wanting to do since I was a kid, and now that this dream is happening, I really don’t want it to go to waste.”
She went on to describe her character as “very mysterious, maraming personalities in a way and that’s going to reveal as the show progresses.” She said that it’s Lin’s intuition, observation and planning skills that make her a bad genius. “Pero mabait pa rin si Lin,” she emphasized.
Coming from a public school, Lin gets a scholarship to one of the best private high schools in the country. She lives with her father Vincent (Romnick Sarmenta), a hardworking public school teacher, while her mother, Winona (Yayo Aguila), is out of the picture. Wanting to be of help to her father, she is determined to keep her scholarship. She also wants to help other students who are struggling academically, and that’s when she discovers that she can actually earn from it. Although not in a good way.
Jairus Aquino said that “it’s beyond words” when he learned he is about to play Bank because it’s very different from what he’s done in the past. He described Bank as a “loving son” to Nenita (Irma Adlawan), a widowed laundry woman. Bank has personal values he strives to uphold, but due to dire financial need, he decides to join Lin in her money‑making scheme, even though they’re competitors in the scholarship program. But despite all their schemes, there’s one person who always has her eyes on them – Principal Eleanor Perez (Sarah Lahbati), the one who awarded them their scholarship.
Direk Derick revealed that he had a long discussion with the producers while looking for the actor to play Pat. It was only when Gab Lagman’s name came up that they all finally agreed that he’s the guy they were looking for! Gab described Pat as rich, but does poorly in academics. He will serve as the spokesperson to get clients for their cheating scheme. Gab expressed his gratitude for getting this part.
Hyacinth Callado, who plays Grace, described her character as “bubbly, outgoing, and kind”. She is the ultimate It Girl and Pat’s girlfriend. She needs high grades to get the lead role in the school’s theater group, and that’s when Lin comes in to help her. She is able to play the cheating game her way because of her wit and confidence. Callado said that she feels honored to be entrusted with this role and she likewise trusts direk Derick’s vision for their series.
For his part, director Derick Cabrido admitted to have felt nervous when he was offered this project. He said, “The original series had already set a standard, and hindi ka na dapat bababa doon…It’s a big challenge, and I love challenges,” and that’s exactly why he accepted.
Direk Derick guarantees that the whole series will not just entertain, “but will tackle the situation of our education system right now.” To begin with, “that’s one of the reasons why the Thai movie/series became a hit. It’s not just pop culture, but tackles social commentaries.,” he said.
Aside from this, Direk Derick added that he is very proud of Viva’s directive to show the characters outside the school and their relationship with their respective families that will explain why they think and act the way they do. “Inaral namin ang bawat isang karakter to give a new flavor, new image” so they will come out as truly Pinoy.
Another important thing, Direk Derick said, “We don’t want to send a wrong signal that we’re encouraging cheating. We made sure that the moral lesson is there.”
Aside from Romnick Sarmenta, Yayo Aguila, Irma Adlawan and Sarah Lahbati, the 13-episode “Bad Genius: The Series” also stars Gold Aceron, Art Acuña, Lander Vera-Perez, Lester Llansang, Andrea Babierra, Keagan De Jesus, Alex Payan, Ash Jewel and Kyosu Guinto.
Experience a thrilling ride of deception, ambition, and high-stakes exams with Atasha Muhlach and the gang. Subscribe to vivaone.ph and stream “Bad Genius: The Series” premieres July 17, 2025, with fresh episodes every Thursday.
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