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Hello, Love, Again, a Filipino indie romantic drama, goes into its second weekend since its release in North America holding a North American box office record.
The film’s opening weekend of $2.4 million in tickets sold not only surpassed expectations, but beat the North American run of its predecessor, Hello, Love, Goodbye, which earned $1.9 million.
Hello, Love, Again holds the widest release for any Filipino production, playing in 248 theaters across the United States and Canada.
The film stars Kathryn Bernardo (The Hows of Us, Can’t Help Falling in Love) and Alden Richards (Pulang Araw, Family of Two) as Joy and Ethan who reconnect in Canada, 5 years after going their separate ways in Hong Kong, as they rekindle their relationship and navigate their changed lives.
Hello, Love, Again was directed by Cathy Garcia-Sampana (Hello, Love, Goodbye, You Changed my Life), and was written by Carmi Raymundo (Un/Happy for You, Rewind) and Crystal S. San Miguel (Love or Money, The House Arrest of Us), based on a story they created alongside Olivia Lamasan (Barcelona: A Love Untold, Sana Maulit Muli). The film was produced by Kookai Labayen (Love at First Stream, Isa Pa with Feelings), alongside Kriz Gazmen (Ang mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan, The Trial), Anette Valdes, and Carlo Katigbak (Can’t Buy Me Love, Unbreak My Heart), who served as the film’s executive producers.
As mentioned by Variety, AJMC (Amorette Jones Media Consulting) developed the marketing strategy to target Filipino Americans, as well as “expanding reach to broader Asian American, Hispanic, and general audiences”. Hello, Love, Again‘s campaign also utilized social media content catering to North American viewers and Bernardo’s and Richard’s fanbases, and partnerships with partnerships with ABS-CBN’s TFC and Cinema One platforms.
“We are thrilled to share ‘Hello, Love, Again’ with U.S. and Canadian audiences”, said ABS-CBN Films president Kriz Gazmen in a Variety interview. “The film’s themes of cultural pride, love, and personal growth have resonated deeply, making this release a significant milestone for us. The collaborative marketing efforts have helped bring this story to a diverse audience, further cementing its place as a cultural moment.”.
As mentioned by GMA Network, Hello, Love, Again also broke records in the Philippines by having the biggest opening day in the country’s history, at ₱85 million, and is currently being screen in 1,100 locations worldwide. Part of the proceeds will also be diverted to help the victims of Typhoon Pepito.
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