Philippine superhero “Zsazsa Zaturnnah” takes on a new form.

Words Patricia Lanzagarita
Photos courtesy of Rocketsheep Studio & Zaturnnah Film
August 22, 2024

The love of Filipinos for action, adventure, and superhero genres is evident with the popularity of local superhero character Zsazsa Zaturnnah, which is currently being developed into an animated film.

Queer Superhero

Zsazsa Zaturnnah tells the story of Ada, a shy gay man who works in a beauty parlor. By chance, a huge stone falls into their home. The stone is magical. When Ada swallows it, he transforms into Zsazsa Zaturnnah, a confident, strong, and beautiful female superhero. Zsazsa Zaturnnah takes on a mission to save the town against monsters such as a giant squid, frog, zombies, and Planet X's invading fashionistas.

Zsazsa Zaturnnah was initially a graphic novel created by Filipino graphic designer and illustrator Carlo Vergara in 2002. It was later adapted into several musical productions after finding commercial success. In 2005, the comic book was adapted into a live-action film, Zsazsa Zaturnnah: Ze Moveeh, starring Zsa Zsa Padilla.

Last year saw a restaging of the musical, this time, featuring actress and comedian Kim Molina as the main lead.

Animated Version

Indie studio Rocketsheep, led by director and producer Avid Liongoren, in collaboration with Carlo Vergara, is currently working on an animated version of Zaturnnah.

Zsazsa Zaturnnah is the first LGBTQIA+ superhero in Asia. Even though it centers on a queer character, the story is relatable as it touches on inner strength and resilience, identity and self-acceptance, friendship and community.

“It's a fantabulous story that needs to be shared with the world because even if superheroes dominate the box office, there's still a lack of LGBTQ characters on screen,” said Liongoren.

Rocketsheep’s team worked for almost 4 years on this version of Zaturnnah. The 2D animated film will run for 80 minutes in the English language.

Crowdfunding Campaign

The film production is mostly being funded by Rocketsheep Studio, but they need to raise $40,000 or about Php 2.3 million to finish the film within two years. Currently, the Kickstarter campaign for the film has already garnered $34,763. With several weeks left before its deadline on September 5, the team has intensified its crowdfunding efforts.

In exchange for donations, supporters will have the chance to be featured in the film as extras or have their names embedded in the actual animation.

This adaptation of Zsazsa Zaturnnah can significantly contribute to advancing queer and local films, as well as Filipino-made animation. As Avid said, Zaturnnah is now ready to face the world!