MANILA — Actress Jodi Sta. Maria is ticking off another item in her bucket list with her first horror movie project with Regal Films -- "Untold."

According to Sta Maria, "Untold" is her fourth time leading a horror movie project. 

"Actually this is my fourth, not fifth horror film,na nagawa ko sa career ko, but it is my first horror film [with] Regal. It is actually my first film with them so thank you so much," the actress told the press on Saturday. 

Sta. Maria revealed that she grew up watching some of the classic horror films produced by Regal, including the "Shake, Rattle & Roll" anthology and some episodes of "Regal Shocker".

"Just a backstory, I grew up watching talaga iyung mga 'Shake, Rattle & Roll', 'Regal Shocker.' O 'di ba reveal na ng age," Sta. Maria said with a laugh. "So when I became an actor, parang sabi ko 'sana, one day I get to work with Regal Films,' and then it happened. Thank you so much, Ms. Roselle (Monteverde)."

In her return to the genre, Sta. Maria believes that "Untold" is different from her previous horror films.

"I think 'yung difference niya from the horror films that I've done before kasi 'yung iba ghost centered especially when I did 'Clarita' back in 2019 with Direk Derek Cabrido, but this one has a lot of psychological tension into it so, I guess that's also the reason why I said yes to project, maganda lang talaga 'yung script and for me, sasabihin na'tin na horror film siya but I believe na Marami siyang masasagot na internal questions sa atin like what are you willing to give in exchange for your soul," she explained.

As for the film's tagline -- "Matakot ka sa sarili mo" -- Sta. Maria believes it shows that everyone has an "inner demon."

"Ako I truly believe that we all have demons, mayroon tayong mga bagay sa sarili natin na ayaw natin lumabas, may mga bagay tayo sa sarili natin na gusto natin I-deny ayaw natin I-acknowledge and once that 'demon' is tapped and then tama matakot ka sa sarili mo," she said. 

In 2019, Sta. Maria starred in "Clarita" a horror film about a woman arrested for vagrancy who claimed that she was being tormented by demons.

READ: Movie review: Jodi Sta. Maria deserves best actress nod for 'Clarita'

Aside from Sta Maria, Kaori Oinuma, Juan Karlos Labajo and Gloria Diaz will also be part of the upcoming movie helmed by Derick Cabrido.