"Starting Over Again" Earns P400-Million, Becomes the Highest-Grossing Non-MMFF Movie of All Time
Star Cinema made history anew!
The Valentine movie offering of Kapamilya network's film outfit and the first big screen team-up of Piolo Pascual and Toni Gonzaga already raked more than P400-million in box-office, exactly one month after its released.
According Mico del Rosario, Star Cinema’s Advertising and Promotions Manager, the movie now ranks among the Top 10 highest-grossing Philippine films of all time. It is also now the highest-grossing Filipino movie in the international box office, the highest-grossing non-MMFF movie, the highest-grossing Pinoy Valentine movie and the highest-grossing solo-produced movie of Star Cinema.
"Starting Over Again," which is part of the continuing 20th anniversary celebration of ABS-CBN film outfit Star Cinema, is still showing in over 270 theaters in the Philippines and in select theaters in the United States.
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Saturday, 15 March 2014
"Starting Over Again" Earns P400-Million, Becomes the Highest-Grossing Non-MMFF Movie of All Time
Brian Tee and Kang Hye Jung to Tie the Knot in "Wedding Palace"
Brian Tee and Kang Hye Jung to Tie the Knot in "Wedding Palace"
Brian Tee is an American actor of Japanese and Korean descent who is best known for his role as the Drift King in “Fast and the Furious, Tokyo Drift.”
Since then he has been in a variety of roles in film and television. One of his most recent roles was the lead character, Jason, in the Korean/American film “Wedding Palace,” co-starring Kang Hye Jung. “Mortal Kombat: Legacy Season 2,” and play the antagonist Noburo Mori in Hollywood blockbuster “The Wolverine,” starring Hugh Jackman.
You have a fun role as Jason in “Wedding Palace.” I’m sure a lot of people can relate to the meddling relatives he has.
That’s kind of what we were shooting for. We tried to make a comedy that’s universal with laughter and transcends culture. If we succeeded, we’ve done our jobs.
Were your parents helicopter parents like Jason’s?
I’ve had friends with that dynamic of having the overbearing parents telling them they need to get married and even having arranged marriages. Fortunately, I grew up with a very liberal mom. She was a broadcaster and so she let me do my own thing. But I could relate to the cast of characters and the zaniness having grown up in Koreatown (in Los Angeles) with my friends.
How did this project come to you? Is comedy something you’ve always wanted to do?
Yeah. Comedy is probably closer to my personality than other roles I’ve played. Christine (Yoo, the director) sent me the script in late 2007. It was one of those scripts where you laugh out loud. It’s rare for a script to make me literally laugh out loud but it did. That was the launching pad where I knew I wanted to do it, and even produce it. It was a long journey, but it was one I wanted to take because no one’s really seen me as a character like this. I feel much more like a character actor where I can go from brute/heavy to comedy, and hopefully fans will appreciate it as well.
You sing and play electric guitar in this. Can you actually sing and play?
(He laughs.) I was working on the TV series “Crash” in Albuquerque (N.M.) and— nothing against Albuquerque, but there’s not much to do — so on my days off I took guitar lessons, knowing there was a scene in “Wedding Palace,” where I would have to play guitar. I wouldn’t consider myself a professional, by any means, but if you told me which chords to strum, I could do it. Hopefully, that played well in the scene. It was one of my favorite sequences, actually.
What was it like working with Korean actress Kang Hye-jung?
It was a lot of fun. She’s a lively spirit and a giving actress. English not being her first language, she was in it to win it. She worked really hard, and it comes across on screen.
You guys had to use some trick photography to capture the comedy of surprise, right?
The trick shots we just had fun with. I think we pulled it off. She was a gem to work with and I’d love to work with her again someday.
Jason finds out something he didn't know about his dream girl once she arrives in America. What was your criterion for a girlfriend or mate?
No matter what physicality my wife would have had, love is love and I would still be in love with her and would still want to marry her no matter what. Jason has that same feeling, but he just has to get through that initial shock to find out.
Congratulations on your wedding. You and Mirelly are both are actors, so did you have a chance to go on a honeymoon?
We both have been busy working. Even in the next couple of weeks, I’m flying out for work and next month, she’s flying out for work. It’s a busy time for us. It’s great to be busy. We’re itching for that moment in time where we can sit back and relax and enjoy what we set off to do and enjoy the rest of our lives and celebrate that moment. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find gaps in our work that will allow us to do that.
There are some specific Korean-American traditions depicted in “Wedding Palace,” particularly the ceremony where the year-old boy chooses his career path by selecting one of several objects set before him. Did you go through that ceremony when you were a child?
Absolutely. That’s a Korean touchstone. It’s interesting that we’re talking today, which is Korean Thanksgiving. My mom’s side of the family got together and we had lunch. Tradition is huge in the culture and very important to the family and myself. Those gems you see visually in the movie and the elaborate wedding that they pull off are typical. When we were actually shooting the wedding scenes, we weren’t trying to be farcical about it. That is how they go. Some are even more elaborate. It was one of those crazy adventures of a Korean movie that shows the cultural side that not a lot of Westerners and other cultures are familiar with. We wanted to show what traditions Koreans have and what Korean-Americans share.
Do you plan to do more martial arts movies? You didn’t die in “Wolverine,” so is it possible you could be back?
I don’t consider myself a martial artist. I consider myself an actor first. I don’t do my own stunts. I regard myself as a lover, not a fighter. I work from the inside out. I feel the physicality is all a part of it. That said, I am a physical guy. I grew up playing sports: football, basketball, you name it. I like the physicality of things and I put a lot of work into the physicality of certain characters, especially with the career path that I’ve taken: a lot of action movies, and a lot of roles that ask for physicality. So with my martial arts background, it’s really more self-defense — very small, very get out of the way, let’s end the fight as quick as possible, whereas in film fighting, it’s completely different. It’s broad strokes. It’s playing for the camera. The beauty of martial arts is the elegance and grace of it all. In movies, I’m more of a bull charging somebody (on camera). What’s interesting, t he martial arts that I’m asked to do on certain action films that I’m cast in I literally have to transform my martial arts style and even my physicality. That excites me.
What can you tell me about your role in “Mortal Kombat: Legacy?”
Liu Kang is somewhat of the face of it. There are a lot of big shoes to fill as far as the physicality and martial arts and me not being that expert as a martial artist, there was a lot of work involved. So I do enjoy martial arts and action movies, and when the role comes across, I will work as hard as I can and do everything I can. But at the end of the day, I’m going to let the stunt guys do what they do best and let myself do the acting, which is what I do best and create whatever we can, action-wise, to make it as memorable and impactful as possible.
You were D.K. (a.k.a. the Drift King) in “Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.” Are you going to be in “Fast 7?”
Right now, the answer is no. Would I want to be? Absolutely. If I could reprise that role, it would be great. He’s one of my favorite roles and to be a part of that franchise is a blessing. Hopefully, (“Fast 7” director) James Wan will have room for me. There are a lot of actors coming on board and I’d love to be one of them, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Released and distributed by Captive Cinema, “Wedding Palace” is showing in theaters nationwide on March 12.
Ruffa Gutierrez Willing To Go To Istanbul If She's Currently Not On Speaking Terms With Ex-Hubby Yilmaz Bektas (6 Photos)
RUFFA GUTIERREZ left yesterday with her entire family for the Asian cruise that will be shot and shown in E! Channel for their reality show, “It Takes Gutz to be a Gutierrez”. The day before their departure, Friday, she was launched at Luxent Hotel as the official endorser of Cosmo Skin L-Glutathione with Advance Skin Whitening Technology, the flagship product of Barg Farmaceuticl Phils. Co. or BFPC. The company’s top execs Nino Bautista and Red Gatus said it’s very hard for them to choose a brand ambassador for their product because the public now is very intelligent and know if it’s all hype. But with Ruffa, they’re sure people won’t think it’s not just hype as she is really beauty personified.
“She’s the complete definition of beauty,” says Nino. “And we’re so happy that she’s already a user of our product when we got her.”
“I’ve never used any skin whitening pill before but a friend gave me Cosmo,” says Ruffa. “Noong una, hindi ko pinapansin, but when I took it, talagang mas naging flawless and super immaculate ang skin. Nawala lahat ng dark spots and blemishes I got from the sun. At mas dumami ang suitors ko. Dati, 10 lang, now, 15 na. So dadalhin ko ang Cosmo sa cruise namin para kahit maarawan ako, hindi pa rin ako mangingitim. We’re going to Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Penang and Malaysia. Our whole family is very excited.”
Will she recommend Cosmo to ex-hubby Yilmas Bektas? “Yes, bibigyan ko siya para pumuti siya.” Her mom Annabelle Rama says she wants Istanbul to be part of their next cruise so they can visit Yilmaz? “Okay lang. Our daughters haven’t seen him for a long time. But right now, our communication is off. Hindi kami nag-uusap and okay lang naman kami even without him sending help. Kaya kong buhayin ang mga anak ko kahit hindi siya tumutulong sa amin. But sila ng daughters ko, okay sila.”
After doing “Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy” for Star Cinema, she’s now playing a very important role in their new movie starring Coco Martin and Sarah Geronimo. “Aside from that, there’s also another movie offer na hindi ko pa puede sabihin ang details. Also, pinatawag nila ako to guest sa ‘Home Sweetie Home’. Maganda raw ang feedback sa first guesting ko roon so they’ll make me a recurring character. Sa Boracay ang next taping ko with them.”
So she’ll be seeing ex-BF John Lloyd Cruz regularly this time. “Naku, wala na yun. May girlfriend na siyang iba. We’ve all moved on. But ako, zero ang lovelife ko. Maraming inspirations pero hanggang doon na lang muna.”
Gerald Anderson On Romancing Anne Curtis Not Just In 'Dyesebel' But Even Off Cam
GERALD ANDERSON might be annoyed with questions of some writers interviewing him about the possible romance might bloom between him and Anne Curtis while they’re doing “Dyesebel”, but he is tactful enough not to show it. He probably knows it’s normal for some writers to always link stars who are paired together in a show. At this point, it really seems remote that Anne and he will be romancing each other off cam since it’s common knowledge that Anne has been on with Erwan Heussaff for sometime now while he is on with Maja Salvador.
“Imposibleng magselos si Maja,” he tells one writer who says Maja might get jealous with Anne. “Tuwang-tuwa nga siya na nakapareha ko si Anne for the first time. At pareho naman kami ng trabaho, so she understands perfectly well that this is all just part of our work.”
The current version of “Dyesebel” has obviously made lots of changes in the original material. For one thing, he as Fredo (the original leading man of “Dyesebel”) now figures in a love triangle with a merman named Liro, played by Sam Milby, who is non-existent in previous editions of “Dyesebel”. Also, Dyesebel and the traditional contravida, Betty (first played by 1950’s contravida Carol Varga) are now sisters. Anne as Dyesebel and Andi Eigenmann as Betty have the same mother, Dawn Zulueta.
“Talagang maraming binago para ibagay ang ‘Dyesebel’ ngayon sa bagong generation of viewers,” says Gerald.
And how is it working with Anne for the first time? “Very exciting. Tinanggap ko ito agad dahil I want to get the chance to work with her. Bagong combination naman ito for the viewers and I hope they’ll support us. Anne is very beautiful and sexy. But more than that, she’s very professional sa trabaho kaya masarap kasama. Sa set, tumutulong akong bumuhat sa kanya kapag ililipat siya ng puwesto kasi mabigat yung buntot niya. ABS-CBN is leaving no stone unturned para mapaganda ang show. Abangan nyo yung mga kilig moments namin sa underwater shots. Napakaganda ng pagkakakuha ng underwater crew sa scenes namin shot in Coron in Palawan and Anilao in Batangas.”
Does he feel any rivalry with Sam? Some folks say it’s also a battle between them as hunks who display their six-pack abs in the show. “Both of us consciously work out to stay fit for our scenes na wala kaming shirt, but wala naman kaming personal rivalry. We just want to use this as a chance para makapagbigay ng inspirasyon sa viewers para to stay healthy, fit and look good this summer.”
A Whole Lot Sexier, Seductive Toni Gonzaga to Surface this Sunday
A Whole Lot Sexier, Seductive Toni Gonzaga to Surface this Sunday
Excited to reunite with her partner after a trip out of the country, Toni Gonzaga’s character Julie tries to seduce John Lloyd Cruz as Romeo by “enhancing” her physical gifts on their hit sitcom “Home Sweetie Home” this Sunday (March 16).
Romeo had been in Singapore for a few days, and the Valentino family is eager for his return - especially Julie, who even takes a day off from school to spend more time with her husband when he arrives.
Before meeting up with Romeo again, a co-teacher of Julie thanks her for a favor by giving her a gift. It just so happens that the gift is something that makes Julie feel sexier, and she decides that it’s perfect for her husband’s arrival. She tries to find the perfect sexy outfit to go well with it, making all sorts of attempts to appear more attractive to Romeo.
What gift does Julie receive that makes her act this way? Will Romeo appreciate this different version of Julie or will it just be a turn-off?
Don’t miss out on “Home Sweetie Home” and the Kapamilya comedy shows, as “Banana Split: Extra Scoop” airs on Saturdays after “Maalaala Mo Kaya”, “Banana Nite” airs weekdays after “Bandila”, “LUV U” airs Sundays after “ASAP 19”, “Goin’ Bulilit” airs Sundays after “TV Patrol Weekend”, and “Home Sweetie Home” airs Sundays after “Goin’ Bulilit”.
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