Photo courtesy of Star Cinema via Videoageinternational.net.
Fans of romance films are in luck this week—bonus points if you’re also into Filipino romances.
Filipino sweethearts Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards reprise their roles as Joy and Ethan in the anticipated romantic sequel “Hello, Love, Again.” The limited-time showing will be available at Newport’s AMC theater in Jersey City starting this Thursday, Nov. 14 until Wednesday, Nov. 20.
“Hello, Love, Again” continues the story of 2019 romance-drama “Hello, Love, Goodbye.” The 2019 movie introduced characters Joy, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), and Ethan, a bartender, who meet in Hong Kong and explore their careers and love for one another.
This film is praised for its young adult coming-of-age story and highlighting the struggles that OFWs often face, especially in Hong Kong. It was previously marked as the highest grossing Philippine film of all time with global ticket sales of over P880 million, or $17 million USD, as of 2021; it was surpassed by 2023’s “Rewind.”
In “Hello, Love, Again,” which was only released in a number of locations in North America, Joy and Ethan’s story continues, but it’s set five years later where the two encounter one another again, but this time in Canada. The sequel will show their attempt to reconnect and what it means for their new lives.
“‘Hello, Love, Again’ has a unique opportunity to connect with a wide range of audiences through its themes of cultural pride, love and personal growth. This is the homecoming audiences deserve, and there is real excitement around how Joy and Ethan choose to end their epic story,” ABS-CBN Films Head Kriz Gazmen said in a statement.
Offscreen, Bernardo is no stranger to Jersey City.
The Star Magic icon previously performed at New Jersey City University’s Margaret Williams Theater in Jersey City in 2018, where Tagalog is one of the top five spoken languages. New Jersey is home to one of the biggest Filipino populations.
Newport’s AMC, also called AMC Newport Centre 11, is the only Hudson County theater that will be showing the 2024 film, which has a 2-hour and 5-minute runtime. “Hello, Love, Again” will be shown in Tagalog with English subtitles. Showtimes and tickets can be found here and bought online or in-person at 30 Mall Drive W.
