Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards Talk Filipino Values and Breaking Records with “Hello, Love, Again”
In 2019, Hello, Love, Goodbye shattered records and hearts with its portrayal of a romance between Joy (Kathryn Bernardo) and Ethan (Alden Richards) set against the vibrant streets of Hong Kong. Directed by Cathy Garcia-Sampana, the film grossed ₱880 million ($33.3 million) and gained a devoted fan base eager to see more of the characters and the new on-screen pairing.
Now, five years later, Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards return as Joy and Ethan in Hello, Love, Again, a sequel that elevates their love story to new emotional heights. The film has already set a record as the highest-grossing Filipino movie of all time, earning ₱930 million ($45.5 million) worldwide within 10 days. Released in U.S. and Canadian theaters on November 15th, it also became the widest North American release for a Filipino film, showcasing the growing global impact of Filipino cinema.
During the Los Angeles leg of the press tour, EnVi sat down with Bernardo and Richards for an exclusive interview about the sequel, sharing insights and excitement towards the film.
“Waking Up” Joy and Ethan
In the sequel, five years have passed since Joy and Ethan parted ways, and the leads, too, are stepping back into their roles five years later. Both characters have grown from their youthful dreams into more complex versions of themselves as they navigate the new setting of Canada, personal losses, and diasporic sacrifices that encompass the life of an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW).
To Richards, the transition back on set as Ethan felt natural despite the long gap. “I’ve been saying this in a lot of interviews: Ethan never left me,” Richards shared with much fondness for the character. “Ethan has always been here. He’s one of my favorite characters that I was able to portray. Being able to do a sequel for the film, there’s a certain joy that strikes, because I was also a fan of the film secretly, even though not so secretly anymore.”
Watching the first movie and its depiction of kababayans (countrymen) around the world resonated deeply with Richards, and he, too, anticipated a sequel to Joy and Ethan’s story. “Cut to five years after, we were able to do [the sequel]. The love and the support that we’ve been getting just puts a cherry on top of everything, like all the hard work, all of the efforts were worth it.”
Bernardo admitted it took her a few shooting days to fully reconnect with Joy, with guidance from director Garcia-Sampana and the production team helping her warm up to the role. Being away from home for a month as they filmed in Canada was an additional factor to get used to. “It’s hard, of course, but it wasn’t hard as compared to 2019,” Bernardo said. Gesturing towards her heart, she added: “Joy has always been there. I just had to wake her up.” Richards chimed in, “She’s been hibernating,” to which Bernardo laughed, “Yeah, she’s been hibernating all along waiting for the sequel.”
A Tribute to Overseas Filipino Workers
At its core, Hello, Love, Again is a love letter to OFWs and Filipino immigrants, celebrating their sacrifices and resilience. The plot explores universal themes of family and longing for home, resonating with audiences as the sequel is brought to a broader international space.
“I think one of the main goals of this film is really to show how Filipinos are – the Filipino traits, Filipino culture, and how we are as providers for our family,” Bernardo said. “I hope this will open doors, especially for non-Filipinos, to watch this and realize, ‘Oh, so this is how Filipinos are’. This is how much they love their family. This is our core. … We hope that this movie will open their eyes and will educate them as well.”
Star Cinema released the film in 1,100 cinemas worldwide, a first for any Filipino film, reaching OFWs right where they are. “Now that we’ve been getting a lot of love and support from these people not only in the Philippines but all over the world, it’s just so overwhelming,” Richards said, expressing gratitude for the global support. “We’re all in this together.”
Intensifying Emotions On-Screen
Unlike its predecessor, Hello, Love, Again dives into more mature and heavier themes, bringing more viewers to tears as they explore the complexities of Joy and Ethan’s rekindled romance alongside their struggles with careers, family, and personal growth. Bernardo and Richards spoke candidly about how portraying these raw, intense scenes pushed them further as actors as they drew from individual experiences to portray their characters.
Bernardo described the process as emotionally challenging, remarking that the five-year gap allowed her to channel personal growth into Joy’s character. “It helped us, in a way, because we can bring something new to the table,” Bernardo said. “A lot of personal growth happened through those years and I think it’s prepared us to show the different versions of our characters.”
Richards echoed this sentiment, noting the difficulty of revisiting tough personal moments to portray Ethan’s journey. “The maturity and grit that they had to instill in themselves were quite challenging for us to portray … like going back to dark moments in your real life and applying it to the scenes is quite challenging, but I’m glad that we were able to do it with the guidance of our director, and we just trusted each other.”
Central to this process was Garcia-Sampana’s direction, whose vision and understanding of the characters ensured the actors felt supported during the heaviest scenes. “We just really trust our director so much, and all the success we’ve been getting around – she’s really, really a big part of it.”
Chemistry Across Borders
Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards continue to captivate audiences with their magnetic on-screen chemistry as they bring to life a story of love, loss, and resilience. Hello, Love, Again is making history not only as the newly-crowned highest-grossing Filipino film of all time within days of its release but also as it paves the way for the growing global reach of Filipino cinema and narratives. “This film is for you guys,” Richards said to fans, gesturing to the camera. “So we were very glad that you liked it. The support and love that you’re giving us right now fuels us to even do more projects like this.”
Hello, Love, Again is now showing in theaters worldwide, and the first movie Hello, Love, Goodbye is available to watch for free here.
Want to read more exclusive interviews with Filipino talents? Check out EnVi’s exclusive interview with BGYO here!
