A new revenge drama series, Beauty Empire, is making its television premiere tonight on GMA Prime. The series is a co-production between GMA Network, streaming platform Viu Philippines, and CreaZion Studios.
Beauty Empire features a story about ambition, betrayal, and the harsh realities of the local beauty industry. The series, which features Barbie Forteza in the lead, had some scenes filmed in South Korea.
“Filming in Korea was fun. It was challenging, of course, because it was unfamiliar territory, so it wasn’t as comfortable as when we shoot here in the Philippines,” Barbie said.
“But it was fun because, first of all, everything was efficient, and of course, I was with Kyline [Alcantara], so I knew I had someone to talk to and lean on when things got tiring. We were feeding off each other’s energy and stories,” she added.
In the series, Barbie is Noreen Alfonso, a self-made beauty entrepreneur who sets out to bring down her former idol, Velma Imperial (Ruffa Gutierrez), a well-established industry figure. Noreen finds herself in direct conflict with Shari De Jesus (Kyline Alcantara), a popular beauty CEO mentored by Velma. Their rivalry unfolds both online and in real life, with personal secrets and unexpected alliances coming into play.
“The story is full of heart and family love. At its core, it’s about fashion and beauty, but we also deal with murder, mystery, and revenge,” Barbie said of the series’ theme
The ensemble also includes Sid Lucero, Sam Concepcion, Chai Fonacier, Gabby Padilla, and Isay Alvarez, with Gloria Diaz and South Korean actor and K-pop idol Choi Bo-Min joining in special roles. Choi makes his debut in a Filipino production.
The series was created by filmmaker Real Florido and writer Rona Co, and directed by Mark Sicat Dela Cruz. Beauty Empire first became available on Viu Philippines on June 16 before its free TV debut.
The show airs Mondays to Thursdays at 9:35 p.m. on GMA Prime. It is also available to international viewers via GMA Pinoy TV and can be streamed on Viu Philippines.