Hello, Love, Again

Hello, Love, Again
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Cathy Garcia-Sampana
Screenplay by	Carmi G. Raymundo Crystal Hazel San Miguel
Story by	Carmi G. Raymundo Crystal Hazel San Miguel Olivia M. Lamasan
Produced by	Katherine S. Labayen
Starring	Kathryn Bernardo Alden Richards
Cinematography	Noel Teehankee
Edited by	Marya Ignacio
Music by	Jessie Lasaten
Production companies	ABS-CBN Studios GMA Pictures
Distributed by	Star Cinema
Release date	November 13, 2024 (2024-11-13)
Running time	122 minutes
Country	Philippines
Language	Filipino
Box office	₱670 Million

Hello, Love, Again is a 2024 Philippine romantic drama film directed by Cathy Garcia-Sampana from a script by Carmi G. Raymundo and Crystal Hazel San Miguel; filmmaker Olivia Lamasan is credited among the story writers. A sequel to the 2019 film Hello, Love, Goodbye, it stars Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, alongside Joross Gamboa, Valerie Concepcion, and Jennica Garcia.

The first major co-production by Star Cinema and GMA Pictures, two film studios from rival media companies, the film was theatrically released in the Philippines on November 13, 2024. The film received positive reviews from critics.

Plot

In the spring of 2020, Ethan visits Canada on a vacation with Joy, now working as a domestic helper in Calgary. Ethan successfully proposes marriage to Joy, but finds himself stranded during the COVID-19 lockdown. Moving in with Joy, their relationship unravels as Ethan struggles with doing menial jobs while his bar in Hong Kong goes bankrupt in his absence. After his father tests positive for COVID a year later, Ethan returns to Hong Kong but fails to see him before he dies. Frustrated at Joy’s absence, Ethan goes into a one-night stand with a random woman, but is caught when Joy videocalls him to tell of her impending return. Heartbroken, Joy calls off her engagement to Ethan.

Three years later, Joy works at a nursing home and is applying to go to the United States in the hopes of becoming a registered nurse. As she picks up a friend at the airport, she comes across Ethan and their mutual friend Jhim, who are now seeking to work in Canada. Working at a cafe, Jhim asks for additional job recommendations from Joy, who then asks him to provide his number, not knowing that Jhim had written Ethan's number instead. Joy subsequently gets into awkward encounters with Ethan, leading her to suspect that he is chasing after her, but Ethan denies this. At a picnic, Joy becomes jealous when a colleague at the nursing home, Baby, develops a crush on Ethan and proposes that they live together in the hopes that Ethan would become a permanent resident. Joy suddenly proposes that Ethan live with her instead as a common-law husband for a year, which Ethan accepts.

News of their renewed relationship sparks excitement among their friends and family back home and in Hong Kong, unaware that they are entering into a sham arrangement. However, Joy's feelings begin to change when Ethan volunteers to clean up at the nursing home and when Jhim tells her that Ethan had narrowly survived being stabbed by loan sharks over his bar and sold his house to pay off his debts. Joy and Ethan gradually reconcile, but a jealous Baby then invites Ethan for a chat in front of Joy. When Ethan arrives later that night, Joy accuses him of cheating on her again, but Ethan says that Baby had threatened to report them both to the IRCC for fraud, leading Ethan to break off their relationship in order to save Joy's future. As Ethan apologizes for his past mistakes, Joy confesses her true feelings for Ethan, and they have sex.

The next day, Joy reports for work, only to find that her ward Martha had died the previous night from dementia complications. Returning to her house, Joy learns that her application to the US has been accepted, to the sorrow of a surprised Ethan. Joy apologizes to Ethan, who accepts his fate, but expresses hope that it would be the last time he says goodbye to her. On her way to the airport, Joy reads a letter left behind by Martha, during which the latter expresses regret at neglecting her loved ones and urges Joy to "return home". Joy aborts her departure and rushes to Ethan's residence. As she knocks on his door, Ethan emerges from the yard, and the two express their love for each other again, leading to their marriage a year later.

Cast

Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards reprise their roles as Joy and Ethan.

• Kathryn Bernardo as Joy Marie Fabregas, a nurse working in Canada who previously worked as a domestic helper in Hong Kong
• Alden Richards as Ethan del Rosario, a bartender in Hong Kong
• Joross Gamboa as Jhim Gabriel
• Valerie Concepcion as Jambi
• Jennica Garcia as Baby
• Ruby Rodriguez as Amy
• Jobert Austria as Tito Lino
• Mark Labella as Marc
• Marvin Aritrangco as Marvin
• Wendy Froberg as Martha
• Kevin Kreider as Uno
• Jeffrey Tam as Carlo Nicolas
• Lito Pimentel as Mario Del Rosario, Ethan's father
• Jameson Blake as Edward del Rosario, the younger brother of Ethan
• Kakai Bautista as Sally Daraga
• Lovely Abella as Gina Mariquit
• Maymay Entrata as Mary Dale Fabregas, the cousin of Joy
• Anthony Jennings as Eric del Rosario, another younger brother of Ethan
• Wilbert Ross as Joey, the younger brother of Joy
• William Lorenzo as Celso Fabregas, Joy and Joey's father

Production

Development

During Hello, Love, Goodbye's theatrical release, lead actor Alden Richards and director Cathy Garcia-Molina (now Cathy Garcia-Sampana) expressed openness to working on a sequel for the film despite the latter's confirming plans to retire from directing to focus on her family, with lead actress Kathryn Bernardo expressing similar sentiments on a potential sequel.

On May 19, 2024, American news website Deadline confirmed that film studios Star Cinema and GMA Pictures will be collaborating together for the first time in developing the film, with Bernardo and Richards reprising their respective roles as Joy and Ethan. Garcia-Sampana was hired to direct the film's sequel, and is targeting for a November 13, 2024 release in the Philippines.

The film's sequel centers on Filipinos in Canada. Screenwriters Carmi Raymundo and Crystal San Miguel narrate Bernardo and Richards' blooming romance amid their hardships and challenges as OFWs. On May 19, 2024, ABS-CBN and GMA executives held a joint press conference of the upcoming film, showing the start of the movie collaboration between the two media companies.

Filming

In June, Joross Gamboa, who was cast in the prequel movie Hello, Love, Goodbye, shared photos and videos in social media with fellow actors Alden Richards and Jeffrey Tam in Hong Kong for the shooting.

Principal photography commenced on July 26, 2024, in Calgary. Filming wrapped up on August 24, 2024.

Marketing

On September 25, 2024, Star Cinema through its social media platforms, shared the movie's first teaser which garnered more than 10 million views in the first six hours after its release.

On October 5, 2024, Star Cinema held a mall show at Ayala Malls Solenad in Laguna as part of its Hello Again Tour. The film's official poster was also revealed at the event.

During their second mall show for the Hello Again Tour held on October 8, 2024, at Vista Malls Taguig, the film's official trailer was first released. The trailer had more than 11 million views in 14 hours after its release across social media.

Release

Hello, Love, Again debuted in 656 cinemas nationwide on November 13, 2024, setting a new record for the widest release of a Filipino film. Midnight screenings were also held in various cinemas across the country. A day before its general release, a red carpet world premiere was held at SM Megamall and was attended by the film's cast and crew members including the lead stars Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, and director Cathy Garcia-Sampana. The event was also attended by the celebrities and executives of ABS-CBN and GMA including Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, Carlo L. Katigbak, Cory Vidanes, Jak Roberto, Barbie Forteza, and Julia Montes.

After the successful first-day run, Star Cinema released the film in 1,100 cinemas worldwide, a first for any Filipino film.

Reception

Box office

Hello, Love, Again earned ₱85 million on its first day, setting the record for the highest opening day gross for a local film and surpassing The Super Parental Guardians (2016). On its second day, the film earned an additional ₱70 million in box office receipts, making it the fastest local film ever to surpass the ₱150 million mark, and by its third day, the film had earned ₱245 million, the fastest local film to surpass the ₱200 million mark.

The movie also set the record for the largest opening weekend ever for a Filipino film in the United States and Canada, earning a total of US$2.4 million and finishing in eighth place. As of November 17, the film earned ₱520 million in the domestic box office. As of November 18, 2024, the film earned ₱566 million in the Philippines. Both Bernardo and Richards announced that part of the film's proceeds would be donated to victims of typhoons that struck the Philippines at the time of its release.

Critical reception

Vikram Murthi of IndieWire gave Hello, Love, Again a mixed review, grading it a "B-". He stated that in spite of its earnestness, "the film exhibits something of a split personality by awkwardly moving between cutesy soap operatic romance and an unsparing, oft-devastating portrait of the myriad hurdles facing foreign workers.... [Bernardo and Richards'] scenes together can feel unfocused solely because they're needlessly drawn out. Plus, the various plot complications that hinder their inevitable reconciliation, like a half-forgotten love triangle or Joy's impulsive decision to accept Ethan as a common-law partner, generally feel like caricatured dramatic obstacles."

Jason Tan Liwag, writing for Rappler, praised the film's acting, editing, and cinematography while criticizing its portrayal of the Filipino community in Calgary as "underdeveloped".

External links

• Hello, Love, Again at IMDb