‘Dreams do come true’: Alden on reuniting with Kathryn after five-year wait

“It’s like a dream.” This was how Alden Richards described “Hello, Love, Again,” the upcoming sequel to the blockbuster hit “Hello, Love, Goodbye,” wherein he stars opposite Kathryn Bernardo.

Alden will reprise his role as Ethan opposite Kathryn as Joy in the historic collaboration project between ABS-CBN’s Star Cinema and GMA Pictures.

“Hello, Love, Again” will be screened in cinemas on Nov. 13 with international releases following thereafter.

“What excites me even more is, this is the first collaboration of Star Cinema and GMA Pictures in a film and we couldn’t be happier,” stated Alden at the project announcement held at the ABS-CBN building in Quezon City.

Teaser trailer of 'Hello, Love, Again' shows Ethan and Joy meeting again — this time in Canada.

“The collaboration is pushing through. Ever since we started ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’ with actors coming from different networks who worked together, and now for a beautiful movie to happen, even the networks are one and united for this film,” he added.

“So, we’re happy and I waited for it. It’s like after seeing the film, over and over again. Yung pangarap na yun nasa puso ko lang in the past five years. So, finally, it happened. Dreams do come true really.”

The film director Cathy Garcia-Sampana, who also helmed “Hello, Love, Goodbye,” attested to what Alden said, “The part two, nasa puso ni Alden, tagal na.”

From left: Writers Carmi Raymundo and Crystal San Miguel, Kathryn, Alden, and film director Cathy Garcia-Sampana at the project announcement.

ABS-CBN

The heartwarming teaser was dropped during the project announcement where Ethan and Joy meet again, against the backdrop of a snow-capped mountain.

“It was nostalgic,” the Kapuso actor said of the scene. “When we shot the teaser, I felt it like what will happen which also excites me. But of course, may takot din because the last time that I worked with direk and Kath, that was the last time.”

“And like what Kath said earlier, I don’t know how are we gonna react to one another again after five years, which is more over the takot, it’s really more of excitement.”

As part of the preparations, according to direk Cathy, they conducted ocular inspections of possible set locations and did immersions and interviews about Filipinos working and living abroad in Hong Kong and Canada as part of the preparations for the film.

On what else to expect in the sequel, Carmi Raymundo, who also wrote the first film, shared that it’s going to be “familiar but it’s different.”

Photo shows a scene from the hit first film 'Hello, Love, Goodbye' in 2019.

“(There will be) a lot changes. Because it’s been five years from 2019. When ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’ ended, a lot has happened in the world after. When Joy left for Canada, the pandemic happened and the world was shut down. So a lot of changes,” she reiterated.

Crystal San Miguel, who will co-write the film, echoed, “Of course, the world has changed, the characters have also changed. Yung mga pinagdaanan nila. Of course, the major question there is, will the love that they have for each other also change?”

Direk Cathy added, “But whatever changes that we went through, may natitirang ikaw pa din. Iiwan yung core.”

The key officers from both networks, ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo Katigbak, ABS-CBN chief operating officer Cory Vidanes, ABS-CBN Film Productions head Kriz Gazmen, and GMA Films president and CEO Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, were also present at the project announcement.