Did Alden Richards “manifest” his big screen team up with Julia Montes?
At the grand reveal of their movie project, “Five Break-ups and A Romance,” last Tuesday, April 18, the actor admitted that he had always wanted to be paired with the versatile actress.
“Nang tanungin po ako sino ang gusto kong makasama at I mentioned Julia’s name … ‘yung mga fans hinalukay nila wayback 2012 or 2013. At ‘yung mga projects ni Julia na (pinapanood) ay ‘yung … ‘Doble Kara,’ ‘Mara Clara’ at ‘Wayback Home’,” he said.
Not only that, at the same event, Julia admitted she had also seen Alden’s shows and could not believe she will finally share the screen with the Kapuso heartthrob.
“Kinuwento ko nga sa kanya (Alden), pero before pa napapanood ko naman talaga na siya. Kaya nga nu’ng banggitin na gagawa kami ng project sagot ko talaga, ‘seryoso ako talaga?’ Kasi may feeling ako na siyempre nabi-bless tayo ng mga projects pero hindi ko ini-expect na mangyayari itong team up na ito,” the Kapamilya star said.
Prior to the movie’s grand reveal last Tuesday, fans got worried upon seeing the actress’ cryptic broken heart post on Instagram. They finally heaved a sigh of relief after it was revealed that the post was about her dream movie project, “Five Break-ups and A Romance” with Alden Richards.
Director Irene Emma VIllamor, who also wrote the film, said the movie will resonate with anyone — lovelorn and brokenhearted, young and old, single or in a relationship.
“Tungkol ito sa pag-ibig, tungkol sa break-up pero nakangiti ka pa rin,” she said. “Huwag kayong masyadong magsaksak ng puso ninyo.
“Mapapa-text ka sa ex (dyowa) siguro at (sasabihing) magbalikan na tayo or sige maghiwalay na lang kayo!”
“Puwede rin ito sa mga walang relasyon dahil kung single ka, gusto mo ba talagang pasukin ito or manatiling single ka na lang and this is for all ages — Gen Z, millennials at kahit hindi na, dahil kuwento naman ito tungkol sa hirap at sarap ng may kasama ka.”
Since this is the first time Alden and Julia are working together, they were given the chance to bond before the cameras started rolling, and the writer-director is happy to note that they have the elusive on-screen chemistry.
Julia related how comfortable it was meeting Alden the first time, adding that she was able to show who she is in real life — Mara Hautea Schnittka.
“‘Yung parang ako as hindi nga Julia, ‘yung Mara – ‘yung real na ako… wala! Pinakita ko lang. I mean, kuwentuhan,” she disclosed.
Alden also praised how the production allowed them to bond before the shoot and wished that it would become the norm in the local movie industry.
“Ang maganda rin kay Juls,” Alden added, “before we started one time, big time, ‘di ba, Direk, nagkaroon tayo ng script reading and exercises, etc.
“Actually it’s not more of the movie, but more of our personal relationship together, which is maganda rin. Kasi sa history ko, sa tagal ko sa showbiz, parang may routine na tayo when we do our projects. Andiyan ‘yung storycon tapos may workshop kayo. But ang maganda kasi sa nangyari sa amin … before anything else, we [were able to] work on the relationship of the co-stars. Because that’s the foundation of the whole project.”
Alden called his new leading lady brave and genuine.
“She’s a really brave woman. And parang (sabi niya) ‘This is me. So will you accept me, will you not accept me?’ And parang she’s very genuine in a way na binigyan din niya ako ng comfort in that way. So ganun siyang klaseng tao.”
Aside from welcoming the chance to work with Julia, Alden liked how the story is not your conventional narrative.
“I’ll be playing Lance Sandoval here, so what I really like about my character is kagaya ng sinasabi ni Direk na we’re used to love stories na very narrative, parang kuwento siya towards na alam mo ang ending,” he said. “Pero ito kasi, it’s more of the reality of a relationship. Kasi in a relationship naman, ‘di ba, minsan [may] petty to hardcore fights? Hindi mo naman dini-divulge in public. So ito, bibigyan naming buhay ang complications ng relationships, in terms of breakups, arguments, misunderstandings, etc.”
He hopes the audience will see themselves in their characters and — who knows? — “baka may mga exes na magkabalikan,” said the actor.
“Or may mga magkarelasyong magkaaway at that moment na ma-realize nila na, ‘text ko nga yung partner ko para ayusin namin ‘to. Because at the end of the day it’s always about love, ‘di ba?
“Love is a very complicated thing. Sometimes hindi mo na alam if you’re fighting for the right reasons, the right people. But you know, it’s love.
“So with the character that I have now, ito ‘yung isa sa mga karakter ko na very loose. Si Direk Irene let me gawin mo lang ‘yung gusto mong gawin, which I appreciate.”
Loose and dirty, Alden added. Meanwhile, Julia’s Justine is a “goal-driven career woman.”
“Siyempre sa ating mga babae, madalas tayong tinatawag na ‘martir.’ So in this film, how can you balance career and love? So with love, ‘di ba, we don’t know when to stop. Walang guidelines. Walang mga manual. So, kailan mo ba malalaman kung tama pa ba ang tama, o mali na ba ang mali?”
Erickson Raymundo, one of the producers of the movie, teased that there will be daring scenes between Lance and Justine.
“Five Break-ups and a Romance” is a collaboration of GMA Pictures, CS Studios and Alden’s Myriad Production Company. (Reggee Bonoan)
