‘Hello, Love, Again’ proves the world needs more Filipino cinema

Bernardo was the highest-grossing Filipino movie actress of the 2010s, and Richards is a singer, entrepreneur and actor—and both similarly rose to fame through their roles in popular Philippine television and film. 

Bernardo brilliantly takes on the role of Joy, a domestic helper who is unwavering in providing for her family, despite the frigid circumstances. Amid the chaos, she meets a Filipino bartender named Ethan, perfectly played by Richards, an aspiring entrepreneur who’s a few years short from achieving residency in Hong Kong who helps Joy on her journey.

The film captured the hearts of many across the globe who felt connected to the movie’s depiction of the strenuous lengths we go to provide for our families, especially overseas. The film was a huge success, achieving a global earning of $17 million from its release, instantly becoming the biggest movie in Philippine cinema history.

Bernardo and Richards, however, did not expect it to become the phenomenon it came to be. In fact, the two had fears when initially taking on the project.

“It was a risk for both of us, actually,” Richards says in a recent interview with JoySauce. “It was going to be our first time working together and we had no idea about each other. We would see each other most of the time at events, and I’ve seen the many projects of Kath, and I saw how she performs, but working together was something that was very uncertain for us. But, we were quite excited because it has never been done and we had a great concept with this film, so we just jumped into it with the help of our director and our writers.”

Bernardo adds, “I was really, really scared because I didn’t know how the people would react, but it was a good surprise. Everyone was very welcoming and supported us from 2019 to now.”

Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards at Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) last month in Los Angeles.

Sthanlee Mirador

The duo’s collaboration in this project was monumental from its inception. For starters, the film is a rare collaboration of actors from two rival media powerhouse companies in the Philippines, ABS-CBN's Star Cinema and GMA Pictures, which Bernardo and Richards are separate talents of, respectively. 

“It was a risk for our home networks,” Bernardo says.

“But there’s beauty in uncertainty and creative collaboration, especially between networks,” Richards adds. “And we’re just so overwhelmed with the support from the film.”

The two actors were also similarly a part of their own “love teams”—which in the Philippines is a term used to describe an on-screen couple in film or television that the public becomes infatuated with—which led them to becoming instant stars in Philippine pop culture.

Bernardo was a part of “Kathniel,” a love team with her former co-star Daniel Padilla, while Richards was a part of “AlDub,” a love team with his former co-star Maine Mendoza. With both actors coming from two love teams that were very well known by the nation, from hit series from rival production companies, it was a bold casting choice to pick them both as the leads for a new rom-com. 

It created a love team that was the first of its kind, pulling from former pairings that fandoms already felt connected to. This could become a huge hit, or leave fans in an uproar.

“With him coming from a love team and me being someone who was also [actively] a part of a love team at that time, you never know what will happen when you bring us two together to form a love team,” Bernardo says. “I was really scared. But everyone was so supportive and we just trusted our director [Cathy Garcia-Sampana] so much, who also is the same director for our sequel as well. I think more than anything it was just important that people saw us when they watched the film, as Ethan and Joy, not as [our last love teams], and not as Alden and Kath.”

Alden Richards and Kathryn Bernardo as Ethan and Joy in "Hello, Love, Again."

Courtesy of Star Cinema

Luckily, the pairing was magic. The 2019 hit was so successful that the film was greenlit for a sequel, Hello, Love, Again, after fans demanded more out of the love story. The sequel premiered last month and is now playing in select theaters across the United States. It follows Joy and Ethan’s relationship five years after the end of the first film—and it also features one of our favorites, Bling Empire heartthrob, Kevin Kreider. 

Hello, Love, Again achieved record-breaking numbers since the release. The sequel has grossed $17.1 million in the worldwide box office, becoming the only Filipino movie in history to ever do so, surpassing its already widely successful original movie. 

The sequel continues to share how Joy and Ethan withstand numerous external forces to achieve their dreams and support the ones they love. And although Bernardo says she’s more like Ethan and Richards believes he’s more like Joy, they share that these characters both still resonate with their real-life experiences and have left them with important lessons and reflections on life. 

“I think we've had our fair share of sacrifices to get to where we are now and to achieve certain things, especially in this industry,” Bernardo says. “This job is not a joke. It requires a lot of patience, a lot of hard work, and so much more. So, I think it's just really nice because the characters are very real. They made it very real. They fail, they succeed, and they also go through these different pressures.”

“I think we're fueled by dreams, and every day we wake up and we have this aspiration of how we want our lives to go,” Richards adds. “But I think, it's really the journey that we should enjoy, and we have to, even if it will not be a smooth one. And as we go along in life, I think one of the main objectives of that is we learn from everything, whether it may be good or bad experiences. That's going to keep you going to make you a better person.”

The cast of "Hello, Love, Again" at Asian World Film Festival.

Sthanlee Mirador

Hello, Love, Again closed out the Asian World Film Festival last month in Los Angeles, where Bernardo was awarded the Snow Leopard Rising Star Award for her being “one of the Philippines’ ‘most bankable and beloved performers.’”

While the film includes captivating writing and beautiful cinematography that should not go unrecognized, a big pull to this film is Bernardo’s and Richards’ portrayals of their characters—especially their effortless chemistry that made filming both movies seamless for the two actors. 

“I think chemistry is something that comes naturally, and you can’t fake it, you know,” Richards says. “I think that the relationship that Kath and I have is something genuine and sincere. And also, the basic foundation of everything is trust. I trust her. She trusts me. And I think it really helped a lot while we were doing this film, and that resonates with the characters that we were playing.”

“I admire his dedication when it comes to things like, once he wants a certain thing, he'll give it his all,” Bernardo adds about Richards. “And also, whether it's business, whether it's his personal life, or whatever it is that he's doing, you can just see his commitment in everything that he does. I think that's one of the traits that I admire about this guy."

It’s no surprise that the love for this movie has gone global. These films are a critical piece of Philippine cinema history and it’s a glimpse into a future of what the entertainment industry can look like with Filipino filmmakers at the table.