When the announcement came that Vic Sotto — famously called 'Bossing' by fans and colleagues — was taking on a serious role for the first time in his decades-long career, it was met with surprise and curiosity.

Known as the king of comedy, his name has been synonymous with laugh-out-loud antics and holiday cheer at the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). But this year, in 'The Kingdom' — an ingeniously reimagined tale of an uncolonized Philippines — Bossing dons the heavy crown of a ruler torn between tradition and change, cracking not a single joke from beginning to end.