(From left) Kathryn Bernardo, Cathy Garcia-Sampana, and Alden Richards during the premiere night of “Hello, Love, Again.” Image: Nice Print Photography via Instagram/@starcinema
“Hello, Love, Again” (HLA) director Cathy Garcia-Sampana said she is open to the possibility of helming a Part 3 of the love story of Joy and Ethan, the characters brought to life by Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards in the movie as well as in its first installment, “Hello, Love, Goodbye” (HLG).
Bernardo and Richards recently bid their farewell to their characters after HLA made film history as the highest-grossing Filipino movie of all time, earning P1.4 billion at the box office.
In a TV Patrol report, Garcia-Sampana said she is not closing her doors to doing a follow-up to HLA, saying one “cannot put a good movie down.”
“You don’t end it. Because in real life, tayo we don’t stop going,” she said.
The filmmaker said life goes on, and it will pose new challenges that put one’s “character to the test,” which can also be applied in the case of Joy and Ethan.
“We don’t stop encountering new problems and things that will put your character to the test. Kahit natuto na tayo, may dadating na ichachallenge uli ang natutunan mo. Hangga’t buhay si Joy and Ethan, you can make a story out of them,” she said.
(We don’t stop encountering new problems and things that put our character to the test. Even if we learn something new, challenges will come to test what we’ve learned. While Joy and Ethan are alive, you can make a story out of them.)
Unforgettable encounters
As Bernardo and Richards wrapped up promotions for the 2024 film, Garcia-Sampana recalled unforgettable encounters with fans who shared how “Hello, Love, Again” touched their lives.
“Three days ago, may isang nagpapicture sa restaurant and sabi, ‘Alam niyo po, pumasok kami sa sine magkahiwalay and then lumabas po kami, magka-holding hands na.’ Things like that,” she said.
“Meron siyang iniiwan sa’kin and ito ‘yung comments na nagpapatuloy sa akin gawin ang trabaho ko, or ipagpatuloy ang vision ng Star Cinema na magpasaya,” Garcia-Sampana further added.
(Three days ago, a fan asked for a photo with me in a restaurant. They said, “Did you know that we entered the theater already broken up? We were already holding hands once we left. Things like that. Stories like these leave an impression on me, and these comments remind me to keep going and continue Star Cinema’s vision of making people happy.)
Taking off three years from the events of HLG, Ethan follows Joy to Canada in HLA in the hopes of reuniting with her after their bitter breakup.
Aside from Bernardo and Richards, it stars Jennica Garcia, Joross Gamboa, and Valerie Concepcion.