AFTER more than four years, we’re going to say hello to Joy and Ethan again!
ABS-CBN’s Star Cinema and GMA Pictures confirmed on Sunday, May 19, that the 2019 blockbuster film “Hello, Love, Goodbye,” starring Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, is finally getting a sequel.
This will be the first time that the two production companies collaborate for the sequel titled “Hello, Love, Again.”
On Instagram, Star Cinema shared a teaser of the forthcoming movie, which highlighted the stories of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who chose to be oceans apart from their loved ones to provide them a better future.
Toward the end of the teaser, Joy and Ethan appeared and met each other again, this time, in Canada. The song “Ikaw At Ako,” performed by Moira Dela Torre and Jason Marvin, also played in the background.
“Bringing the stories of Filipinos all over the world together,” Star Cinema wrote.
Bernardo and Richards will reprise their roles as Joy and Ethan, respectively. Filmmaker Cathy Garcia-Sampana will also return to direct the sequel.
“Hello, Love, Again” is set to hit local theaters on November 13, 2024.
News about the “Hello, Love, Goodbye” sequel was first reported by Deadline, which claimed that the new movie will have international releases after its November 13 premiere.
“Hello, Love, Goodbye” was Bernardo and Richards’ first movie tandem. It centers on Joy, a domestic helper in Hong Kong who meets a Filipino bartender named Ethan. The two develop a friendship as they navigate life in a foreign country.
The 2019 romance film took home multiple accolades and was previously named the “highest grossing” Filipino movie with P880 million in global gross sales.
Excitement
Meanwhile, both Richards and Bernardo expressed their excitement for “Hello, Love, Again” during its media event on Sunday.
“Kagabi pa ako kinakabahan. I don’t know why, maybe it’s more of excitement and halo-halong emosyon, but then seeing everybody here, ramdam na ramdam namin yung support and excitement niyo and parang ‘yun yung nagfu-fuel sa’min,” said Bernardo.
The 28-year-old actress acknowledged that working on the sequel won’t be an easy task because it has been more than four years since “Hello, Love, Goodbye” premiered, but she remained enthusiastic for the forthcoming film.
“We thought we already said our goodbyes, but here we are saying our hellos,” she said, eliciting ooh’s and applause from the crowd.
Meanwhile, Richards said that “Hello, Love, Again” gave him something to look forward to each day.
“I couldn’t be happier today kasi this gave me another motivation, yung gigising ka sa umaga na meron kang nilo-look forward. So, I’m so excited and very happy that this is happening,” said the Kapuso actor.
He also asked viewers to give the same support to the sequel just as they did with “Hello, Love, Goodbye” in 2019.
“Sana makuha rin namin yung suportang ‘yon, and more pa. Times two pa,” he added.
For promo?
While many netizens are elated for the new project of Bernardo and Richards, others asked if the recent sightings of the two celebrities were part of the promotions for the sequel.
“Promo ba yun since March? To see kung kakagatin pa rin ng tao ang Kathden and decide if they will pursue the sequel ng hlg or not cause if it’s yes, then ang talino,” said a netizen on X (formerly Twitter).
“Wait….. so for promo lang ba ung #Kathden???” another online user asked.
The “KathDen” ship has set social media ablaze with romantic excitement, since Kathryn’s 28th birthday celebration. Their sweet moments together, which were caught on-cam and went viral, made their fans question the real score between the two but none of them confirmed the ongoing dating rumors surrounding them.
Nonetheless, some online users said they will continue to support Bernardo and Richards on their new big-screen project.
“Whether it is promo or personal, we don’t care. At this point, we will support them,” said a fan.
Another netizen said, “Anyways, promo or not, I will support KathDen. Tagal kong hinintay magbalik si Joy at Ethan.”
