For the first time, GMA-7's Primetime King Dingdong Dantes is co-headlining a movie with former ABS-CBN executive Charo Santos.
They have started filming on April 24, 2024.
Directed by Irene Villamor, with Pao Orendain as director of photography, the movie will be co-produced by Cornerstone Studios, headed by Erickson Raymundo and Jeff Vadillo, and AgostoDos Pictures, which is owned by Dingdong.
READ: Dingdong Dantes excited about upcoming movie with Charo Santos
DINGDONG AND CHARO BEHIND-THE-SCENE PHOTOS
As seen in photos exclusively sent to PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) this Wednesday morning, May 1, the two appeared to have established rapport as they shot their very first scene together.
The first scene was filmed inside a bedroom at an undisclosed location, with the two of them grinning at each other.
Another shot showed Charo sitting in front of a vanity sink, while Dingdong is standing next to her.
For his role in the movie, Dingdong noticeably grew a beard and sported a crew-cut haircut.
He seemed at ease talking to Charo in between takes.
Charo, for her part, seemed happy to be back to shooting a movie.
In an interview published on PEP.ph on March 14, it was Dingdong who first revealed that Love To Love is the working title of his movie with Charo, but that it might be changed during production.
"Pre-pandemic pa ito," he said, referring to the project that was first conceptualized in 2019.
Dingdong refused to give specifics about the film's genre.
All he said was that he's looking forward to doing a film with Charo whom he looks up to.
"Alam niyo, napapanood lang natin siya sa TV, I know her body of work.
"Especially pag nag-uusap kami, much respect and always in awe pag kaharap ko siya.
"Isang napakalaking privilege to work with Ma'am Charo and I'm sure it's one exciting project."
Their collaboration was announced as early as December 2022, with Charo pointing out in her Instagram post that the project has been "three years in the making."
Dingdong was similarly thrilled as he posted on his Instagram a snapshot of the "draft" of the film script dated "December 2020."
At the time, Dingdong tagged Charo, Irene, Erickson, and Jeff together with Charo's sister and former ABS-CBN executive Malou Santos and Dingdong's manager Perry Lansingan as the "people behind this beautiful project."
Read: Pagsasama nina Charo Santos at Dingdong Dantes sa pelikula, matutuloy na sa wakas
This upcoming Dingdong-and-Charo-starrer comes in the heels of the box-office success of Dingdong's reunion movie with reel-and-real-life sweetheart Marian Rivera, Rewind.
Shown during the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival, Rewind earned PHP902 million according to Star Cinema's announcement on January 31.
Rewind is co-produced by Star Cinema, AgostoDos, and APT Entertainment.
It currently holds the record as the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time, beating the Alden Richards-Kathryn Bernardo starrer, Hello, Love Goodbye, which earned PHP691M in 2019.
Read: DongYan's Rewind is now the highest-grossing film in PH domestic sales