DiCaprio: Is he really coming or not?

There has been so much to-do about Leonardo DiCaprio, star of Inception which is opening today nationwide, since Funfare Update published the “scoop” that he’s coming next month to promote not the movie (too late for that) but an eco-friendly resort in Albay. DiCaprio is noted for his being environment-friendly.

It’s Joyce Ramirez, Director for International Publicity of PR Asia Worldwide, who is paving the way for DiCaprio’s visit here.

But due to what Joyce described as “hangers-on,” those who are trying to ride on the DiCaprio publicity, there just might be some changes in DiCaprio’s itinerary. Let’s just hope that he does come to the Philippines and not to any other place in Asia which he first visited several years ago when he shot his post-Titanic starrer The Beach at a beach in Thailand.

Anyway, here’s an “official statement” from Joyce:

To date, discussions are underway in Hollywood, California, between me and the agents representing the foundation of Mr. Di Caprio aimed at achieving the official visit of the Hollywood actor to the Philippines as International Advocate for Climate Change.

PR Asia Worldwide, in cooperation with a private sector, is doing this initiative to help boost awareness on the environmental promotion and protection. At the same time, we are very thankful that an international celebrity of Mr. DiCaprio’s calibre has agreed to support our cause after we submitted our formal invitation to his agent/representatives.

However, the representatives of Mr. DiCaprio are not very happy with all the unauthorized press reports coming from sectors that we have no direct dealings or affiliations with. We are shocked at the use of his name being reported by news channels and reporters without our permission or direct authority from Mr. DiCaprio himself.

We are calling all other news agencies to please stop making false reports, as well as interviewing personalities who are not in any way involved in this project. We would like to ask them to please refrain from further publishing, blogging, and announcing the coming of actor Mr. DiCaprio, and from using the name, likeness, images, and so forth pertaining to the actor until we reach an agreement and all has been approved by both our firm and artist.

We are afraid that if these people will not stop making their own little announcements and creating their own itinerary suggestions without informing us, all discussions to bring him here will be called off due to security reasons.

Right now, all news are false reports unless the statement come directly from me. Everything is all gossip and hearsay if they do not get an official statement from me.

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Scheduled to have its premier showing tomorrow (July 16) at the CCP as part of the ongoing 2010 Cinemalaya but outside of the competition (only the 10 Cinemalaya-financed entriesis MKAK, short for Mga Kahihinatnan ng aking Kabalbalan which is produced and directed by TJ Trinidad who also stars in it with, among others, Gina Alajar, Jodi Sta. Maria, Epy Quizon, Ketchup Eusebio, Bobby Andrews and Che Ramos, with cameo roles by Ricky Davao and Leo Martinez.

MKAK, under TJ’s own Black Bus Films, cost more than P1.8 million to produce (with P200,000 invested on it by Richard Gutierrez). The total unedited running time was two hours and 20 minutes but TJ had to cut it to a tenable one hour and 40 minutes.

The story is about a young man wrongly diagnosed with HIV and how it affected his life. TJ plays the young man.

“Is it based on my own story? No, it’s not. I have never been wrongly diagnosed with HIV. It’s the true story of somebody, told to me by my brother,” clarified TJ who wrote the script two years ago in-between the shoot of his then ABS-CBN soap Prinsesa ng Banyera. “It took me this long to film it because I waited for the right time.It depended on my schedule.”

TJ is thankful to his stars for not charging their usual talent fees but only presyong kapatid.

Wasn’t he intimidated directing the veterans?

“Of course, I was, but thankfully they put me at ease. I just did my work and did it properly. They were cooperative; they followed direction like any of the actors. I take my hat off to them for that.”

Describing his directorial debut as fulfilling, TJ (real full name: Raul Trinidad Jr.) plans to market MKAK abroad, with the help of international filmfest expert Ferdinand Lapuz (Funfare’s Toronto-based “international correspondent” and co-producer of indies, most of them with Dante Mendoza, also as director).

Asked what his own kabalbalan are, TJ blushed.

“I have some but I’d rather keep them to myself.”

What’s up?

• In Friday’s (July 16) repeat staging of As1 at the Araneta Coliseum, Martin Nievera (photo) will sing Adorro, a Spanish song his father Bert Nievera used to sing; while Gary Valenciano (photo) will sing Historia de un Amor, his mom’s favorite Spanish song. Martin’s mom Conchita Razon is Spaniard and Gary’s mom Grimilda Ortiz is Puerto Rican. Tickets to As1 are selling fast, so you better buy now. It might take a long time before Martin and Gary will do the same concert again. First staged last year at the MOA Concert Grounds, As1 has been mounted in several cities in the US to big crowds.

• Friday, July 16, marks the first death anniversary of Myrna Panlilio (photo), the very first Bb. Pilipinas-Universe (1964). There will be a Mass at the Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park at 5 p.m. and, during the salu-salo, a lot of fond recollections about Myrna who is, according to her sister Lu, “very showbiz, up-to-date with showbiz tsismis.”

• Star Cinema’s latest offering, Cinco, opened to SRO crowds nationwide yesterday. Classes were suspended in Metro Manila due to the Typhoon Basyang so most people, left suddenly with nothing to do, trooped to moviehouses for a good scare. Cinco is composed of five horror-dramas calculated to bring the genre to a higher level.

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