Fresh from a recent Manila premiere that was packed with fans and a record-breaking opening day gross of P25 million, the Philippines’s “Ultimate Heartthrob” Piolo Pascual and actress-singer-host Toni Gonzaga, one of the hottest female triple threats in Philippine showbiz today, will fly almost 8,000 miles to meet their fans in the San Francisco Bay Area for the U.S. premiere of the romantic comedy, Starting Over Again.
The premiere, a Valentine’s Day offering from ABS-CBN Star Cinema and TFC@TheMovies, is set for February 15, Saturday, with 1:00pm and 6:30pm screenings at historic Fox Theatre in Redwood City.
Starting Over Again has generated huge buzz because of the chemistry of the two lead stars and the numerous positive reviews by critics, bloggers and fans who are raving over the brilliantly directed movie by the award-winning Olivia M. Lamasan, director of international Filipino blockbuster films from Star Cinema like Milan, In My Life, In the Name of Love and The Mistress, to name a few. The screenplay was by Carmi Raymundo who wrote the recent Kim Chiu-Xian Lim blockbuster, Bride for Rent and other hits like My Amnesia Girl and It Takes A Man and a Woman.
“It’s been a while since we’ve held a movie premiere here in the U.S. and we thought that bringing the much anticipated first big screen collaboration of two of the industry’s biggest stars, one of the most successful Filipina directors of all time, and one screenwriter who has been on a blockbuster roll would make for an exciting Valentine’s Day gift to thousands of fans who want to see the movie plus Piolo and Toni in person,” said John-D Lazatin, ABS-CBN Global Head of Theatricals.
Indeed, there are great expectations for Starting Over Again from the four stellar heavyweights but they deliver in this movie. Toni Gonzaga plays Ginny – bubbly, brilliant and driven – who, as a student in Architecture romantically pursues Marco (Piolo Pascual), a professor. Eyebrows may be raised but the two genuinely fall in love, until one day, Ginny left for no apparent reason, breaking Marco’s heart into a thousand pieces. Years later, their paths cross again: Ginny has the successful career that she dreamed of while Marco is now a chef… with a new ladylove in Patty (played by the exquisite Iza Calzado). Seems like they are all happy. But wait… Ginny wants Marco back. The journey of second chances begin with Ginny chasing Marco again. But will this have a happy ending or will it end again in heartbreak?
Joining Piolo Pascual, Toni Gonzaga and Iza Calzado in this not-your-usual romantic comedy are young but amazing talents Joross Gamboa, Bryan Santos, Edgar Allan Guzman, Cai Cortez and Beauty.