A second chance for Popoy & Basha

MANILA, Philippines – Fans of Filipino modern romance often refer to the journey of One More Chance’s Popoy and Basha as this generation’s definitive love story. Director Cathy Garcia-Molina was at the helm of the movie.

John Lloyd Cruz’s sincerity as an actor, Bea Alonzo’s credibility as an actress, and the team-up’s magical chemistry breathed love and life to the characters of Popoy and Basha, written by two of Star Cinema’s most celebrated screenwriters of today, Carmi Raymundo and Vanessa Valdez.

However, when One More Chance was released in 2007, Carmi and Vanessa were just young writers for movies.

“Because of One More Chance, I feel like I discovered a newfound commitment or a sense of purpose,” says Vanessa. “The movie paved the way for me to have a clearer voice as a storyteller, and I think the same goes for John Lloyd and Bea as actors, and Carmi and direk Cathy.”

For Vanessa, this is also the reason why John Lloyd and Bea hold a very special place in her heart.

“I feel like we (John Lloyd, Bea, direk Cathy, Carmi) were all at different turning points in our lives, and we were all maturing during that time simultaneously,” shares Vanessa. “I’ve always felt that the movie was John Lloyd and Bea’s transition into young adulthood, a new phase of their career. Their star status and individual careers really took off after that, and I’m glad I got to have worked with them at that point of their careers.”

The movie undeniably broke box-office records, and made young movie royalties out of its lead stars.

However, the movie was destined to be greater than just a romance flick. The film became the ultimate standard for local love stories.

Eight years since it was released, Popoy and Basha’s relatable love story, their hugot lines continue to be relived by Filipinos day in and out.

Asked how she feels that One More Chance became a part of the Filipino pop culture, Carmi expresses in an earlier interview, “Dati kapag sinasabi nila ’yan, ‘di ako komportable. Pero over the years, after all the people who talked to us about how they were touched by the movie, natutunan ko na ipagpasalamat. Nakakahiya pa rin, pero nakakatuwa na rin. Hindi naman kasi namin inasahan na magiging ganun pala ‘yung reaction ng mga tao. We are all just too grateful now that the viewers loved the characters, as much as we did.”

Looking back, Vanessa fondly recalls, “When I started out in Star Cinema in 2004, I remember saying that I wanted to write a film about a generation, for a generation. That was my dream. One More Chance did not set out to be that movie but somehow ended up becoming just that. And for that, I feel truly blessed and thankful.”

With A Second Chance, Carmi and Vanessa reunite with Direk Cathy Garcia-Molina to continue the story of Popoy and Basha.

This time around, direk Cathy shares the screenplay credit with them. “She had a vision of what she wanted this movie to be, and we wanted her to really collaborate with us in the process,” Carmi says.

Vanessa adds that John Lloyd and Bea also helped develop the story when the creative team asked them to imagine what Popoy and Basha’s married life could be like, using a questionnaire crafted by the writers.

The team behind A Second Chance hopes that a new generation of viewers will fall in love with Popoy and Basha. And for the fans of One More Chance, the sequel is an answer to the question, “Did Popoy and Basha live happily forever and ever?”

A Second Chance is now showing in cinemas worldwide.