Who would have thought that we would see Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards again after their hit 2019 movie, “Hello Love Goodbye”?
Way back in 2019, no one had ever expected to see Kathryn and Alden in one place, neither on a big screen. It was also an unexpected turn of events when their movie surpassed another movie of Kathryn with her then-on boyfriend, Daniel Padilla in The Hows of Us.
Hello, Love, Goodbye was a hit earning 880 Million at the box office, and was named the Highest-Grossing Filipino Movie of all time until another Star Cinema MMFF-produced movie, “Rewind” broke its record last January 2024 with 924M total box-office earnings.
To be honest, those who watched HLG know that the movie’s open ending still leaves a lot of questions and wishful thinking about what happens to the love story of Ethan and Joy. Joy is in Canada, while Ethan is in Hong Kong, did they make it?
And now 2024 has come, and a sequel to their hit movie was announced, Kathryn and Alden are back as Joy and Ethan on “Hello, Love, Again” which premiered in more than 1000 cinemas worldwide, a first in Philippines cinema ever. It shows that everyone has been waiting for this reunion as the movie broke another record and earned P 85 Million on its opening day.
The movie easily grabbed the attention of the moviegoers as it trends on different social media. The second day of the movie was also shocking as it already reached P 155 Million showing popularity and as early as its first weekend in cinema, people already knew that the movie would reclaim the crown from “Rewind”.
The Cathy Garcia-Sampana masterpiece was a favorite, as most of the cinemas nationwide have been sold out, with long queues of people looking forward to seeing the movie that is the talk of the town. Kathryn and Alden show their appreciation as they visit every block screening of their fans for the movie. On its third day, it was announced that the movie already earned P 275 Million, a first in Philippine Cinema, again.
Hello, Love, Again has made an impressive debut at the U.S. box office, earning $2.4 million in its opening weekend across 248 theaters in the United States and Canada. This figure surpasses the lifetime North American gross of its predecessor, Hello, Love, Goodbye ($1.99 million), making it the highest-grossing Filipino film in North America to date. The movie debuted at the 8th spot in the weekend box office rankings, an unprecedented feat for a Filipino film in the region.
Hello, Love, Again is the continuation of the love story of Joy and Ethan, who reconnect years after separating due to distance and life’s challenges. Set in Canada, it explores themes of personal growth, second chances, and the Filipino overseas worker experience.
Watching the movie, you will feel nostalgic going back to where Ethan and Joy started five years ago. They indeed fall in love but the reality of life will always make us choose what we think is right and will benefit many people, our family to be exact. That is why the movie is relatable to what exactly our OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) has been facing in foreign country, because it is mostly for their dreams not for themselves, but for their family they left here in the country.
Joy and Ethan’s story was not far from reality as they took risks again in Canada, where Joy is currently working as a Domestic Helper. But surely, a Pandemic happens, and that’s where the story conflicts will revolve. Challenges like this were a true story that normal people faced during those times.
The timeline will jump to 3 years later, and Joy and Ethan will be a different kind of people, but then again, destiny will take a second chance, because as they say, destiny will always find its way to those who are meant to be.
Yesterday, and as we all expected, it was announced that Hello, Love, Again was now the Highest Grossing Filipino Movie of all time, earning a whooping P 930 Million in just 10 days in cinemas. Naming Kathryn and Alden movies again as a box office tandem.
This will also make Kathryn the first Filipino actress to have three films surpass the ₱800 million mark (second for Alden), a testament to her immense popularity and the strong box-office draw of her projects. Kathryn just recently received her Rising Star award at the 10th Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Kathryn Bernardo has solidified her status as a box-office powerhouse in Philippine cinema, achieving unprecedented success with multiple high-grossing films.
- “Hello, Love, Again” (2024): This sequel to the 2019 hit “Hello, Love, Goodbye” reunited Bernardo with Alden Richards. The film shattered box-office records, earning over ₱930 million worldwide within just ten days of release, making it the highest-grossing Filipino film to date.
- “Hello, Love, Goodbye” (2019): Prior to the sequel, this film held the record for the highest-grossing Filipino movie, grossing over ₱880 million globally. Bernardo’s portrayal of Joy, a domestic worker in Hong Kong, received critical acclaim and contributed significantly to the film’s success.
- “The Hows of Us” (2018): Starring alongside Daniel Padilla, Bernardo delivered a compelling performance that resonated with audiences, leading the film to become one of the highest-grossing Filipino movies at the time.
Congratulations Kath and Alden and to Team HLA, the road to 1.5 Billion gross, another first for a Filipino movie.
“Mabuhay ang pelikulang Pilipino“
