OMG! Rabin Angeles Is Leading The Book-Turned-Series, 'Seducing Drake Palma'

After weeks of coy teasers, VIVA has finally revealed that rising young teen star Rabin Angeles will be taking on the lead role in their new Viva One series, Seducing Drake Palma. 

Fresh off his stint as Yuri in Mutya ng Section E—another show based on a popular Wattpad hit—Rabin is ready to take on the challenge as the lead. 

"Ibang Rabin po ang makikita niyo rito. Malayo ang character sa nakita niya sa Mutya ng Section E dito kay Drake Palma. Sobrang lalim niyang tao kahit hindi siya masyadong nagsasalita," Rabin told the press during the reveal in Viva Cafe today, May 8.

"Sobrang daming bubog ng character na ‘to. Sobrang daming pinagdadaanan deep inside," he added.

When asked about how he prepared for the role of Drake, Rabin laughed. "‘Pag pumupunta ako sa set, sinusubukan kong magsungit.”

Based on the Wattpad series-turned-hit novel, Seducing Drake Palma tells the story of a student with an impossible task: getting the grumpy and oh-so-hot class playboy to fall in love with her. Originally released online back in 2012 under the full title Mission Impossible: Seducing Drake Palma, it was later turned into a best-selling novel by Pop Fiction, an imprint of Summit Books. The fan-favorite novel has since been reprinted three times. 

"Very faithful po siya doon sa story," says author Ariesa Domingo, who writes under the name Beeyotch. She also wrote other bestselling Pop Fiction hits, including For Hire: A Damn Good Kisser, No One Will Know, the Just trilogy, and the Yours series. 

"'Pag binabasa ko yung script, na-i-imagine ko na lahat. Nung pinanood ko na 'yung shooting, 'nung pinanood ko si Rabin as Drake, excited po talaga ako. Viva made the right decision in casting Drake Palma."

Now that the actor playing Drake has been revealed, fans want to know: Who'll be playing Alys Perez, the girl who will seduce Drake Palma? For now, Viva is still keeping that—as well as the names of the rest of the cast—under wraps.

Helming the adaptation is film director Crisanto Aquino, who won the Metro Manila Film Festival Best Director plum for last year's My Future You. For fans, he promises a faithful adaptation of what he calls "one of the OG" Wattpad stories.

"Nagko-coordinate kami with Ariesa during the pre-production to ask everything. Maraming nag-aabang [sa series na 'to], so kailangan talaga maging faithful para di ma-disappoint 'yung mga readers," he says.

Seducing Drake Palma will air on Viva One beginning June 15.