source: Boy Villasanta | abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines - Actress Pilar Pilapil flew to London Thursday last week to shoot a film on migration, even as the case about the carjacking and stabbing incident she went through last April is still ongoing.

Pilapil earlier requested Fil-Briton filmmaker Jowee Morel, the director of the film "Leona Calderon", to delay their departure for at least a week so she can attend to the case and other personal matters. This request was granted.

But another week of delay could no longer be sustained as it would cost the production much.

Pilapil will portray the lead role in "Leona Calderon".

“Anyway, when I am already in London, the police investigators would still communicate with me,” Pilapil said hours before she boarded the plane.

“I think Jowee has to start the shoot so I should be there promptly. Initially, I would want to at least stay a little longer in the Philippines to attend to these court cases and to some of my personal things like my family, but Jowee begged me to immediately fly to London.

“I am also nursing asthma but it’s kind of okay now. Jowee is already too anxious. I couldn’t make it on time for shoots so I must be on the set anytime now,” said Pilapil.

The actress left the country with husband-pastor Bernie Peñas and will stay with Morel's British friend, Simon Luckin.

According to Pilapil, she’s excited and nervous about doing a 35mm film in London. “This is my first time to shoot in London. And I’m kind of getting the jitters because I would be in the company international filmmakers who are very professional, the way I was imagining them especially when Jowee was explaining things about them,” she chuckled.

The film was offered to Pilapil on the day she was kidnapped, threatened, and stabbed to near death.

Initially, it was reported that she sustained 7 stab wounds but Pilapil revealed she was inflicted 10 stab wounds instead.

Pilapil has already recovered from the trauma and physical pains she sustained and is ready to work again.

Working with Virginia McKenna

In “Leona Calderon,” Pilapil is pitted against award-winning Hollywood and British actress Virginia McKenna who was nominated for Best Actress in the Golden Globes for the movie “Born Free” in 1966. She was also named Best Actress in a British Musical at the Laurence Olivier Awards in 1979 for “The King and I”, which she did opposite Yul Brynner.

McKenna’s latest Hollywood caper was “Sliding Doors” with Gwyneth Paltrow in 1998.

According to Pilapil, McKenna is also doing "Leona Calderon" for free because both of them like the script written by Morel himself.

“I am very honored to be acting with such a screen giant as Virginia McKenna who, according to Italian artist Marco Russo di Chiara, whom I just met recently, is very revered and sought after in America and especially in Europe,” said Pilapil.

She added that most of the production team are Hollywood-trained like Christopher Woollard who was technical consultant to such film classics as “Interview with the Vampire” and “Lord of the Rings.”

McKenna, according to Pilapil, is all ready to face the cameras. Morel has just met with her last week to brief her on her role as an old woman who likes Leona Calderon so much.

“People tell me I should talk intently with Virginia McKenna since, like me, she runs a foundation for the preservation of the environment and taking care of animals. But I’ll just play it by ear first,” said Pilapil.

Before Pilapil went to London, she had dinner with daughter Pia Pilapil and her husband Gerry Gonzalo with their children in tow.