(From left) Donny Pangilinan, Mae Cruz Alviar, Belle Mariano. Image: Instagram/@maecruzalviar
Mae Cruz-Alviar has worked with some of the biggest love teams in the industry, yet she can’t help but be proud as she sang praises for Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano, whom she described as an onscreen partnership with a “new gen mindset.”
The filmmaker spoke about meeting Pangilinan and Mariano, also known as DonBelle, at a project announcement on Tuesday, July 25, before kicking off production for their upcoming drama “Can’t Buy Me Love,” which will premiere sometime this year.
“I’ve worked with different loveteams pero sila, I can see the difference of why they are tagged as ‘phenomenal’ and I can see why they’re the ‘new gen loveteam.’ Iba sila eh,” she said. “I’m not saying one is better than the other because they are unique in their own ways. Very ‘new gen’ ang kanilang mindset.”
(I’ve worked with different loveteams but with them, I can see the difference of why they are tagged as “phenomenal” and I can see why they’re the “new gen loveteam.” They’re different. “I’m not saying one is better than the other because they are unique in their own ways. They have a very “new gen” mindset.)
Cruz-Alviar then admitted that she’s “very impressed” with the actors’ professionalism, as she noted how much “they want” to prove themselves in the industry.
“Na-impress ako sa kanila because talagang they want this. Hindi lang dahil sumikat sila, nagkataon na hit ang projects nila (I’m impressed with them because they really want this, not because their projects were a hit). No. They want to make this work. They want to make this work even more,” she said.
During the media conference, the director also pointed out that Pangilinan is “really” hardworking despite coming from a well-known family background, and is determined to “prove himself” to his family.
“Bilib ako kasi si Donny, you’d think that he’s a nepo baby but nagulat ako that he really, really wants this. I never knew that he really went through workshops to prove to his family that he really wants this. Hindi siya ‘yung type na nakuha ang mga ito because of his background. He really, really worked hard for this,” she said, referring to a colloquial term for “nepotism baby,” or someone whose celebrity emanates from the name of their esteemed relatives.
(I’m impressed with Donny. You’d think that he’s a nepo baby but I’m surprised that he really, really wants this. I never knew that he really went through workshops to prove to his family that he really wants this. He’s not the type of person who achieved such feats because of his background. He really, really worked hard for this.)
“Belle has been around for a long time so she knows what hard work is. Napaka-hardworking (They’re such hardworking) na couple, loveteam nila, and I know that they’ll go very, very far,” she continued.
Bingo and Caroline
Although Pangilinan and Mariano remain tight-lipped about the teleserye’s details, they revealed that their characters will be known as Bingo and Caroline.
Caroline is a rich Chinese woman coming from a traditional family while Bingo is a hardworking man who’s willing to make ends meet for his loved ones, according to DonBelle.
The poster for “Can’t Buy Me Love” was also unveiled at the event, which showed the actor having a man bun, while sporting a gray sleeveless shirt and dark pants. Meanwhile, the actress has side-swept bangs, and was wearing a black blazer dress and high-heeled shoes.
Filming for the teleserye will take place “soon,” according to Cruz-Alviar, although details about the supporting cast and storyline are yet to be disclosed.
Pangilinan and Mariano have emerged as one of the most well-known onscreen partnerships to date, with successful projects such as “He’s Into Her,” “An Inconvenient Love,” and “Love is Colorblind.” EDV