Julia Barretto during her solo media conference. Image: Courtesy of Viva Artists Agency
Fresh from appearing in multiple projects in 2024, Julia Barretto is ready to keep herself busy with three new projects, namely, “What Lies Beneath,” “Hello Heaven,” and “Artista Academy.”
Barretto spoke about her upcoming projects in a solo media conference while describing herself as someone who “grabs every opportunity presented” to her as a way of showing her gratitude.
“I’m super excited to start this new series with ABS-CBN, ‘What Lies Beneath,’” she said. “The story is really different. I feel like during and after the pandemic, we’ve been doing love stories, and this time, we’re refreshing [our lineup] next year to create stories as unique and as thrilling as this.”
While details about the plot are yet to be revealed, she will be working with Bela Padilla, Janella Salvador, Charlie Dizon, Jake Cuenca, Jameson Blake, and JM de Guzman for the series.
Another primetime drama in the works is “Hello Heaven,” which marks Barretto’s second time to work with filmmaker Antoinette Jadaone. Details on her co-stars and plot are yet to be announced, as of press time.
“I’m super, super excited. I worked with Direk Tonet in ‘Love You to the Stars and Back,’ the first movie I did with Joshua,” she said of the drama. “We’ve always talked about working again, and now we’ll get to do that for an extended period since ‘Hello Heaven’ is also a series.”
Barretto also announced that she would be hosting the upcoming reality show “Artista Academy,” which aims to scout the entertainment industry’s next big names.
“Hindi ko alam paano nag-play ang bagay for me (I don’t know how things played out for me), but it’s something I’m going to be preparing for in January,” she said.
From one blessing to another
Despite having a jampacked 2024, Barretto remains grateful for the opportunities she was bestowed with. Among the notable projects she had this year were the web series “Secret Ingredient” and the romance film “Un/Happy For You.”
“I keep on saying this and I keep on saying it because I mean it — nagpapasalamat ako sa grace na pinakita ng Diyos sa’kin (I’m thankful to God for the grace he showed me) this year and the blessings,” she said.
“It really makes the whole journey worth it and sometimes, I look at the year I had and I don’t know how to explain it. I’m also very surprised myself,” she continued.
The actress looked back at how she used to work hard as a kid, saying the opportunities were fruits of her labor.
“I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. I feel like I’ve been working so hard and trying my best and giving it all every day. Being rewarded somehow is an extra push and it’s really humbling… I’m trying my best to be present and to be grateful for what I have,” she said.