The year 2019 saw a love story smashing box office history as Star Cinema’s Hello, Love, Goodbye raked in P880.6 million. Black Sheep Production’s romantic drama Alone/Together followed far behind with P370 million gross sales.
The ten highest grossing films were a mix of just about all genres: comedy films The Panti Sisters and Jowable; horror films Eerie and Clarita; movies about friendshipUnbreakable and Unforgettable; romantic melodrama Isa Pa With Feelings; and erotic film Just A Stranger.
Star Cinema, Viva Films and Black Sheep Productions dominated the big screen with their respective offerings.
Neophyte directors also had their screen debut this year, with Darryl Yap directing one of the top 10 highest grossers, Jowable. Other films directed by newbies include Jordan Sebastian’s The Art of Ligaw, Pertee Brinas’s Letters to Happy, Boy2 Quizon’s I’m Ellenya L, JE Tiglao’s Metamorphosis, Rae Red’s Babae at Baril, Arden Rod Condez’s John Denver Trending, Crisanto Aquino’s Write About Love, Joji Alonso’s Belle Douleur, and Daniel Palacio’s Pailalim.
This year 2020, there are many promising films lined up such as Yam Laranas’s Night Shift starring Yam Concepcion, Mikhail Red’s Block Z starring Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia, Mae Cruz Alviar’s Love or Money starring Angelica Panganiban and Coco Martin, Ben Rekhi’s Watch List starring Alessandra De Rossi, Jake Macapagal, and Art Acuña. All these are showing in January and February.
Other films include Tililing, Untrue, Whether the Weather is Fine, Fluffy and Fream, I’m in Love with my Asylum, Ang Babaeng Walang Pakiramdam, Loakan, On The Job 2, Love The Way You Lie, Post Angst, Empty By Design, Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story, Ur Mine Is Only U, James and Pat and Dave, U Turn, My Stepmother’s Lover, Magic Temple, Penduko, The Mirror, and Lumang Bakal, among many others.
Another upcoming movie that is unique as it boasts of being the first culinary cinema masterpiece in the Philippines, is Fusion. Starring Hero Bautista, who also directed and co-produced the film, Brazilian DJ Luane De Lima and Croatian Ms. Pure Energy Marija Debelic, Maria Ozawa, Yayo Aguila, Toby Alejar, Harlene Bautista, Herbert Bautista,Monette Rivera, Kate Coseteng, Nikki Coseteng, Alonzo Muhlach, Sandro Muhlach, Archie Adamos, Chris Aguilar, Peach Mascarinas, Elishah Pangilinan, Nino Muhlach, Kiko Matos, Jethro Ramirez, and Miko Penalosa.
“I think kailangan ng changes sa pelikulang Pilipino ngayong 2020,” says Direk Hero, who will push for the comeback of comedy films this year, as well as support foreigners starring, producing, or directing Filipino films.
