18th Rose is a 2026 Philippine coming-of-age romantic drama film directed by Dolly Dulu from a screenplay he co-wrote with John Carlo Pacala. The film stars Xyriel Manabat in her first leading role in a feature film, and Kyle Echarri.[2]
Netflix officially disclosed the film as part of its “Next on Netflix Philippines” 2026 slate during a press event on February 9, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt Manila.[4][5][6] Dolly Dulu was announced as the director of the film from a screenplay he co-wrote with John Carlo Pacala, with Xyriel Manabat and Kyle Echarri in the lead. Principal photography took place over the course of one month in Romblon,[7][8] a location chosen to highlight the province’s “lesser-seen parts”.[9] According to Dulu, the early 2000s setting was based on his personal experiences growing up in the era, citing the “simpler” nature of life and romance prior to the presence of social media.[9][10] To prepare for their roles, Manabat and Echarri underwent chemistry workshops to develop their romantic rapport and on-screen dynamic.[11]
Manabat described her character in the film as “light” and “free spirited”. She noted that she and co-star Echarri began filming with a playful dynamic, before gradually settling into the more serious tone required for their characters.[12] Echarri was all praise towards co-star Manabat who said in part, “when we go to the set, we don’t read the script until we get to the cameras. And when we get to the set, we change all the lines.”[13]
read more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_Rose
