MANILA, Philippines — There are no goodbyes for the Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards team-up, only hellos.
ABS-CBN’s Star Cinema and GMA Pictures recently announced that the two are going to star in “Hello, Love, Again,” the sequel to their first project together, the 2019 blockbuster hit “Hello, Love, Goodbye.” They will reprise their roles as Joy and Ethan, two overseas Filipino workers who met and fell in love in Hong Kong. Their love story had an open-ended conclusion in the first film and will continue in the followup movie set to be shot in Canada.
Cathy Garcia-Sampana will again helm the film which will be released on Nov. 13 in local cinemas, with international releases following thereafter.
“It’s finally happening. Grabe ngayon lang nag-si-sink in sa amin actually. Like what I said, kagabi pa ako kinakabahan. I don’t know why. Maybe, it’s more of excitement and mixed emotions. But then seeing everybody here, we all feel your support and excitement. And that fueled us na makapagsulat ulit si Ate Carmi (Raymundo, screenwriter) and for us to shoot the film soon,” Kathryn told the press during the recent project announcement.
“And it’s not gonna be easy but then here we are. This is so exciting. We thought we already said our goodbyes, but here we are, saying our hellos.”
Knowing “how tough it is to make a sequel,” Kathryn admitted that she was surprised that this collaboration still happened five years later after the release of “Hello, Love, Goodbye.” Her next film project after “A Very Good Girl” was supposedly “Elena” but that required more preparation.
“And then this (‘Hello, Love, Again’) happened, naging totoo… So, it feels very familiar but at the same time, it’s different this time because it’s been five years. And five years is such a long time. I’ve changed. We all did. We all changed. I’m just curious kung ano yung mabibigay namin this time around,” said the 28-year-old Kapamilya star, who was 23 when she filmed “Hello, Love, Goodbye.”
Along with the project announcement was the premiere of a teaser trailer showing Joy and Ethan meeting again amid the backdrop of a snow-capped mountain. Sharing what happened behind the scenes during the shoot for the video, Kathryn said, “While we were dressing up and natabi yung shawl ko from ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’ and then when we wore the costume, it’s like ‘OK, slowly it’s still not sinking in until we went inside the studio.”
“And then I saw almost the same time, direk Cathy, the boys and everybody, they were there. And then the feeling na, ‘Oh my god! It’s like a reunion, and with Alden also.’ But then nung nandun na, ‘Action!’ Nag-take si direk Cathy, parang nangapa ulit.
“Parang nawala na siya sa katawan mo but then we are excited and at the same time, nervous kung paano kami ulit papasok sa characters ni Joy and Ethan.”
Kathryn also thanked the Kapamilya and Kapuso production outfits for giving them another opportunity to tell the continuation of Ethan and Joy’s story and this time, in another setting. She’s very much aware of the clamor among fans for Part 2.
“I think we are pretty aware that there are people (who) have been asking if there’s a Part 2 and when?” said Kathryn who revealed that even friends and families have been awaiting for the sequel. “But my usual answer every time they asked me, I would just say, I don’t know. But I don’t say no or yes because I really don’t know.”
“You know, we were all hoping na actually, pwede pa talagang sundan because as well know, open-ended yung ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye.’”
When ABS-CBN chief operating officer Cory Vidanes first told her about the film just this year, she felt scared. “Because I don’t know if we should just leave it as it is or maybe gumawa na lang kami ng bagong kwento ni Alden or better na ituloy siya.”
“But then when I thought about it, if I put myself aside, not being part of the cast, there are plenty of questions, things that I want to know like, ‘How’s Joy? Is Ethan OK? Did their LDR (long-distance relationship) survive? How’s Joy’s life in Canada? Did she fulfill her dreams?’”
Kathryn hoped that the sequel will provide answers to all those questions. “But this time naman, you know, in a different setting which is in Canada. And as direk Cathy said, sa kwento pa lang nila, andaming maganda and at the same time, very sad stories that we want to tell, so I think this is a good continuation but on a different aspect. So let’s see.”
Meanwhile, one of the film writers, Carmi, shared that she always knew there was going to be a second installment to the film. She recalled that after they watched the entire “Hello, Love, Goodbye,” right after their post-production in Bangkok, one of the producers asked, “Where’s the two watches? Yung sa last scene na binili nilang souvenir in Hong Kong. They said, ‘Nakatago. Why?’ The producer said to keep it, ‘Wag niyong iwala because there will be Part 2.”
“So at that time, we have a feeling that this will happen. Hindi pa napapalabas nun. We didn’t know what will happen (but) we have this gut feeling. Then the producer told me, magsulat ka na ngayon pa lang. So it’s five years in the making,” Carmi said with a laugh.
“Then a lot has happened. Then nagka-pandemic. But then, even that, nagkaroon ng bagong dimension yung kwento. They are global Filipinos (Joy and Ethan) and a global event happened. Impossibleng walang naging kwento at naging impact sa kanila.”
Head of ABS-CBN Films Kriz Gazmen, on the other hand, remarked that “Hello, Love, Goodbye” is a special movie for Star Cinema. He shared, “More than the monetary gains, it was a testament to our commitment to tell stories of Filipinos, all over the world, their sacrifices, their dreams, their love for their families, and also for themselves.”
For the sequel, he acknowledged that they need to “elevate our game” and there is an “enormous pressure” for the “Hello, Love, Again” team. “But I have no doubt that the film is in good hands. With the team as excellent and as passionate as these people on stage right now, and with the unwavering support of our bosses, I know that nothing is impossible,” he said.
“Actually (Atty.) Annette (Gozon-Valdes) and I have been talking about collaborating for more than two years now. And finally, timing is everything talaga. So this is it, Annette. I know that this is only the beginning of a beautiful and fruitful partnership together. I’m claiming it, Annette, we’re going to do and we’re going to make history again.”
Gozon-Valdes echoed what Gazmen had said and further shared, “Linoloko ko na si (ABS-CBN president and CEO) Carlo (Katigbak). I told him, ‘Tara, let’s do a sequel of ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye.’ Palagi ko siyang niloloko every time there’s a meeting. So, I thought it was a joke.”
“And then a month ago, or a few weeks ago, he suddenly said, ‘Tara, let’s do the sequel.’ I said, ‘Really? Is this true?’ So I’m actually very happy na wala pa tayong ginagawa na joint venture movie, because I think this is the best movie that we can begin with.”
Gozon-Valdes also thanked Star Cinema, ABS-CBN, the director and actors for the opportunity and hoped for more collaborations to come.
