April Boy Regino biopic vs. KathDen

What went wrong with the booking of the film “Idol The April Boy Regino Story” at SM cinemas, not in the provinces yet but in Metro Manila alone?

According to Water Plus Productions’ Marynette Gamboa, the producer, it would be exhibited at SM cinemas starting November 27, 2024.

Come opening day, a lot of the former Miss Night Owl Dance Party and inactive actress Jessica Pica’s friends from her gym buddies and prayer group members went up to the Megamall cinemas to watch together the film endorsed by her.

“Pero wala silang nakita. Nagtanong sila sa box-office pero wala raw palabas na gano’n (They didn’t see anything. They asked but they were advised nothing of that film was showing),” said Jessica who is a friend of Marynette so she was concerned and campaigned the projects to her amigas.

Until Pica saw on her Facebook wall photos of Lyn Madrigal, a friend as well and the supervising producer of the movie, who was in the company of movie stuntmen at Sta. Lucia East mall, obviously in a motley group to monitor the performance of the showing of the film.

Jessica learned later that the Gamboa project was showing, aside from the Cainta theater, at Gateway in Cubao.

“Bakit gano’n? Ang dami pa namang gustonng manood sa mga friends ko sa (I wonder why it’s like that when there were many of my friends wanting to watch it at) Megamall,” quipped Jessica.

I didn’t bother to call Marynette about it simply because I knew she would be very busy and complacent about it but knowing her, she could easily troubleshoot the situation.

Until I talked to our Market Monitor correspondent Audie See. “Nakausap ko si Arman Reyes, ang sabi niya, hindi nakapasok ang ‘Idol…’ sa SM dahil sa ‘Hello, Love, Again.’ Hindi nila mahugot ang pelikula dahil malakas kaya walang sinehan ang (I talked to him and she said that their film wasn’t exhibited in SM because of ‘Hello…’ They cannot pull out the film because it was a hit so there were no available cinemas for the) April Boy Regino film bio,” echoed Audie who was referring to Arman as the associate producer to Gamboa.

“’Yan na nga ba ang sinasabi ko. Ganyan talaga (That is what I am telling you about. It’s really like that),” commented Pica who was implying the business realities of film screening in malls.

SM is making sure the Kathryn Bernardo-Alden Richards’ second team-up stays a stable moneymaker for them against a relatively new stars but popular life story adaptation just the same.

I asked Marynette through her Facebook Messenger if she had a contract with SM about the booking of “Idol…” but as I write, she hasn’t returned my text.

Is it really unimportant in business deals the cultural tradition of palabra de honor or word of honor?

I hope SM cinemas will accommodate the April Boy Regino biopic next time like the early part of January 2025 when filmgoers are ready to shell out their money for a movie.

***

The so-called Awards Guru Richard Hinola strikes again.

This time a five-in-one awarding ceremony at the Music Museum.

Richard gave out awards for the Outstanding Men and Women, Pageantry Excellence, Philanthropy, Youth and Brands, all of them in the Philippines for 2025.

“Maraming salamat po sa lahat na tumutulong na (Thank you to all) sponsors, donors, benefactors and supporters,” said Hinola in his talking heads ahead of the awards proper.

“Nakakatulong po tayo sa mga beneficiaries na may sakit at nangangailangan ng tulong (WE are able to help sick people and the needy),” he added.

That makes his awarding a different type of a body to recognize people from various fields.

Among the recipients of this year’s awards are actress Aiko Melendez as an Outstanding Woman and actor-model Lito Gruet was bestowed the Philippine Philanthropy Award for his founding the Battle Against Ignorance (BAI) Foundation based in Cebu City where it accommodates former drug dependents to turn over a new leaf like sexy actress Brandy Ayala, one of the late Dr. Rey de la Cruz’s talents.