Alden Richards’ busy 2024: Movies with Heaven Peralejo, Anne Curtis, Coco Martin

After making the rounds of theaters and television shows to plug his Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry “Family of Two,” Alden Richards will fly to the United States—with his family, at last—for some much needed downtime.

“After four years of trying, they were finally granted US visas. This is such a blessing for us. My elder brother and one of my uncles live there. We will visit them together with my brother, my two younger sisters and a cousin,” he told reporters at a recent press conference.

Alden is set to leave for the US on Dec. 30, spend his 32nd birthday there, and return on Jan. 14 next year.

“There’s nothing more that I can wish for. I’m just looking forward to the possibilities. The Lord has been good to me even during the time when I was depressed and didn’t have time for Him. If there’s anything I would like to do, it’s to deepen my relationship with Him again. And I would no longer use being busy as an excuse not to prioritize Him,” he said.

Alden hopes to come back from his vacation refreshed, recharged and ready to take on the growing list of projects 2024 has in store for him.

Coming soon is Alden’s directorial debut, a courtroom drama movie with the working title “Out of Order.” Produced by his own media company Myriad Entertainment, and Viva Films, the movie features Heaven Peralejo as Alden’s leading lady.

“I was given the opportunity to have full control of the film, from the script to the cast to the locations. They gave their blessing for me to direct … This time, the scenes were executed exactly how I imagined them when I read the script. Because sometimes, they don’t really go according to your vision,” related Alden, who hopes to attend film school someday “to broaden my knowledge about directing.”

Grit

The GMA 7 star had nothing but good words for Heaven, whom he described as a “great, talented and multiawarded” actress.

“We asked GMA and Viva for a list of potential actresses who can star in the film. And we chose Heaven because there’s grit to her as an actress. She knows what she’s doing … When we presented the concept to her, we also set an immersion visit for her at the Quezon City Hall of Justice. And then, I was surprised to find out later on that she had already personally arranged for one in San Juan,” he related.

More projects

“We need actors who take the craft seriously and not just treat [the film] as a fly-by-night project,” Alden added. “Something she said stuck with me, too. She said she was looking for projects that are not just about being pa-sweet. She knows she has so much to give and I saw it here.”

Aside from “Out of Order,” Alden is set to do a “futuristic drama” film with Anne Curtis. There are also talks of him collaborating with Coco Martin—boyfriend of Alden’s “Five Breakups and a Romance” leading lady, Julia Montes—for a possible MMFF entry next year.

“My connection with Coco happened all of a sudden after ‘Five Breakups.’ I was telling Jules about how talking with Boss Coco feels like he has known us for a long time. I was surprised. He gave me some advice about producing, directing and acting at the same time. He’s been there,” he related.

“And something was brought to the table. He wanted us to have a project together. I told him, ‘Sige, boss, i-MMFF na lang natin ‘yan next year.’ And game daw siya,” he added.

What about a sequel to his and Kathryn Bernardo’s record-breaking film, “Hello, Love, Goodbye?” Alden was unsure if there are any plans in the first place, but he will be open to it should it somehow materialize.

“I’m ready any time. The last time I talked to Direk Cathy (Garcia-Sampana), I told her that if you decide to do Part 2, I would cancel everything. Let’s do it,” he related. “But of course that’s all up to Star Cinema … We will never know what the future holds.”

Even busier year

The year 2024 is shaping up to be an even busier year for Alden, who’s also eyeing—through Myriad—to produce concerts and a film to be shot in New York with a foreign production outfit. “It’s a trilogy of short films … an advocacy movie on women’ rights and empowerment,” he related.

And then, there’s the upcoming high-profile, historical drama series “Pulang Araw,” which he will coheadline with Barbie Forteza, David Licauco and Sanya Lopez.

With so many things on his plate, love life, needless to say, isn’t a priority for Alden at the moment. If he were to enter a serious relationship or consider settling down, he wants to make sure that he’s stable enough to take a break from show biz to focus on his family.

“If I were to venture into the settling down stage, I want to be there for my family. I want to be able to watch my children grow … I think if I were to have a family, I would focus on that and then just come back if there’s a chance,” said Alden, who doesn’t believe in juggling career and family life. “One of them will be compromised.”

Alden doesn’t want to get ahead of himself. While he’s not actively seeking love, he will welcome it if it comes. “Come what may. So far, that has worked for me. Hihintayin ko na lang,” he said. INQ