2021 Mar 5th  - The trailer for Navillera, a drama about the unlikely friendship between Deok-chul, a 70-year-old man who takes up ballet, and Chae-rok, a late bloomer 23-year-old ballerino, has been unveiled. Adapted from the highly acclaimed webtoon of the same name, Navillera unites director Han Dong-hwa, called the master of the human drama for his works Squad 38 and Miss Lee, with writer Lee Eun-mi who made a strong impression with Tunnel. Their collaboration has set high expectations.

In the drama, Park In-hwan plays a retired postman, Deok-chul, who seeks to fulfill his lifelong dream of ballet as he nears the end of his life. Song Kang plays a young man, Chae-rok, who has a unique talent for ballet but realizes his talent fairly late compared to his peers. Chae-rok’s life unexpectedly changes as he becomes a ballet mentor to the 70-year-old grandpa.

The trailer shows Park In-hwan (Deok-chul) nearing the end of his life and Song Kang (Chae-rok) who wonders if he’s on the right path with his late career start, as they find their dreams together. In the trailer, Park In-hwan captures the audience’s attention as he throws away cherished mementos in an effort to erase his attachment to ballet. However, seeking a final purge, he heads to the ballet studio where he states, “I’ve never done anything I wanted to do,” signaling a final pursuit with no regrets after recollecting his past.

The trailer gives a glimpse of the confusing reality Song Kang finds himself in. With nothing going his way - not his family, not the people around him, not even ballet - Song Kang sits on the practice room floor alone with his frustration. Tired of his cold reality, he vents, “I don’t know how to live in the future, whether there’s a tomorrow or not,” expressing regret.

In the next shot, we see Park In-hwan remark to Song Kang, “I only have one life. That’s why this moment is precious to me.” He expresses his final pursuit of his lifelong passion, ballet, as he nears the end of his life. The two men - Park In-hwan, who had no choice but to bury his dream, and Song Kang, who stands in front of his dream but without full commitment - come to pursue their challenging passions together.

Watch Navillera when it premieres on March 22 with new episodes every Monday and Tuesday at 10.00pm Philippine Standard Time, two hours after release in Korea, only on Netflix! 

Production Information

Title: Navillera

Director: Han Dong-hwa

Written: Lee Eun-mi

Starring: Park In-hwan, Song Kang, Na Moon-hee, Hong Seung-hee

Produced by: Studio Dragon, The Great Show

Distributed by: Netflix

Release Date: March 22, 2021 with new episodes every Monday and Tuesday at 10PM Philippine Standard Time

DUBAI, UAE, MARCH 3, 2021 - And so, March has begun. To millions around the world, it is the month that sits at the cusp of winter and spring when, as the cliche goes, birds sing, flowers bloom, bees buzz and people fall madly in love. 

So, it's a very good time for leading Filipino film outfit ABS-CBN Star Cinema to make a special delivery of a much-awaited Filipino romantic comedy pairing right to your home or personal gadget via the streaming app iWantTFC. 

Starring award-winning TV and film superstars Coco Martin ("Ang Probinsiyano", "Walang Hanggan", "You're My Boss") and Angelica Panganiban ("Walang Hanggang Paalam", "Banana Sundae", "That Thing Called Tadhana") in their first film together, the rollicking movie delight, "LOVE OR MONEY, becomes available for global viewing on iWantTFC starting March 12, but viewers can avail of the early bird rate now till March 11!* (See details below).

Seal the package with premium label as it is directed by blockbuster hit filmmaker Mae Cruz Alviar ("Crazy Beautiful You", "Bride For Rent", "She's the One", "Maging Sino Ka Man"). 

To date, the film trailer has earned over 5 million views across Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in just two weeks.

The story of "LOVE OR MONEY" revolves around ex-lovers, Leon (Coco Martin) and Angel (Angelica), who cross paths in Dubai three years later after they spent one magical night together that ended with a proposal.  But the following day, Angel left Leon without any word.

When they meet again in Dubai where Leon works as a waiter, he finds out that Angel is determined to do anything to realize her dreams and ambitions. As Angel helps Leon figure out his way into the city, Leon sweeps her off her feet again. But will love be enough the second time around?

The Magic of Dubai

In an interview with ABS-CBN, Coco said he has been to Dubai three times. "I always look forward to coming to this city," he said. "It's beautiful. There is always something new.  Something is always being built. The architecture continuously evolves."

The film was shot before the COVID pandemic. Coco shared his observations about Filipinos in Dubai, a destination city in United Arab Emirates known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture, and a lively nightlife.

"There are so many Filipinos living in Dubai, and they are competitive, professional, proud of their work and happy with their jobs," Coco said. "Maayos sila doon. (Their situation is good over there). I learned a lot from them. But you also feel a sense of sadness as they don't have their families with them." 

Coco added that he completely understood where his character Leon is coming from. "Before, I was one of the many Filipinos who dreamt of working abroad. Our mentality is working abroad is the solution to hardships in our country. The character of Leon was me in my younger years. My character is a waiter and I worked as a waiter before in restaurants and hotels.  I also worked as a janitor.  But in doing the role, I had to study the location as overseas Filipinos in Canada, America, Italy and here in UAE are different because they live in different environments and cultures."

This was echoed by his co-star, Angelica, who said that playing the role of Angel was a challenge. "It's a responsibility," she said in an interview with ABS-CBN. "When you're playing a role that represents your kababayan abroad, you have to be accurate. You have to make sure that they can truly relate to what they're seeing. That when they watch it, they'll say, 'oo, ganyan talaga kami (that's really how we are)'". 

Angelica said that she enjoyed finally working with Coco where she got to know him better as a person.  Coco, on the other hand, said that when you mention "Angelica Panganiban", you know it's going to be a good project.  And that Star Cinema didn't make a mistake with "LOVE OR MONEY".

"Sulit na sulit ito (this is worth your money)," said Coco. When asked if he will choose love or money, "Before money, but today love," Coco said with a big laugh.

Joining Coco and Angelica in "LOVE OR MONEY" are Gelli De Belen, Ketchup Eusebio, Cai Cortez, Matet De Leon, Dante Rivero, Teresa Loyzaga, Norm McLeod, Pinky Amador, Cheska Inigo and Rose Artist Studio's Jeremiah Lisbo.

You can catch "LOVE OR MONEY" on iWantTFC for a special early bird rate of USD3.99/AED14.99/EUR4.49/GBP3.99 until March 11. Register on iWantTFC for free, no need for subscription or commitment.  *For instructions on how to buy tickets to "LOVE OR MONEY", visit this link.

The upcoming fantasy series tells the story of Davion, a renowned Dragon Knight devoted to wiping the scourge from the face of the world. Following encounters with a powerful, ancient eldwurm as well as the noble Princess Mirana on a secret mission of her own, Davion becomes embroiled in events much larger than he could have ever imagined.

About Valve:

Valve Corporation, founded in 1996, is a global leading game developer headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Its game titles include Half-Life, Portal, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, DOTA 2, and more.

About DOTA 2:

DOTA 2 is one of the leading online games in the world, hosting millions of players daily and holding multiple records for top e-sports tournament prize earnings. Launched in 2011 by Valve, the annual International DOTA 2 Championship has paid over $150 million to its winning teams.

About Studio MIR:

Studio Mir Co., Ltd is a South Korean animation studio specializing in the entire production from start to finish. Founded in 2010, the studio has quickly tapped into the North American market with its strong producing skills of 2D animation sensibility and CGI technology. Among other works, it is best known for The Legend of Korra, Voltron: Legendary Defender, and the recently announced The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, expanding its traditional platform into the global OTT market.

About Netflix:

Netflix is the world's leading streaming entertainment service with over 204 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

Based on Leigh Bardugo’s worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels, Shadow and Bone finds us in a war-torn world where lowly soldier and orphan Alina Starkov has just unleashed an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her country free. 

With the monstrous threat of the Shadow Fold looming, Alina is torn from everything she knows to train as part of an elite army of magical soldiers known as Grisha. But as she struggles to hone her power, she finds that allies and enemies can be one and the same and that nothing in this lavish world is what it seems.

There are dangerous forces at play, including a crew of charismatic criminals, and it will take more than magic to survive. Shadow and Bone is a Netflix production from 21 Laps Entertainment, starring Jessie Mei Li (Alina Starkov), Archie Renaux (Malyen Oretsev), Freddy Carter (Kaz Brekker), Amita Suman (Inej), Kit Young (Jesper Fahey), and Ben Barnes (General Kirigan).

MANILA, March 2, 2021 -- Big action and big monsters are meant to be seen in the BIG SCREEN.   This month, moviegoers will get the full cinematic experience again as Columbia Pictures’ new fantasy action thriller Monster Hunter, opens in Philippine cinemas March 2021!  

Film fans are advised to refer to the websites and social pages of their favorite cinemas for more details regarding the film’s playdate and screening times.

In Monster Hunter, behind our world, there is another: a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When an unexpected sandstorm transports Captain Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her unit to a new world, the soldiers are shocked to discover that this hostile and unknown environment is home to enormous and terrifying monsters immune to their firepower. In their desperate battle for survival, the unit encounters the mysterious Hunter (Tony Jaa), whose unique skills allow him to stay one step ahead of the powerful creatures. Facing a danger so great it could threaten to destroy their world, the brave warriors combine their unique abilities to band together for the ultimate showdown.

Nearly 20 years ago, writer-director Paul W. S. Anderson and star Milla Jovovich teamed up with videogame company Capcom and Constantin Film to produce Resident Evil, based on the bestselling videogame. Six movies and $1.2 billion in box office later, the franchise stands as the most successful videogame adaptation of all time.

Now, the team has reunited for Monster Hunter, based on Capcom’s bestselling video game of all time, “Monster Hunter: World,” and the origins of the project point to Anderson’s time in Japan. “I was actually a fan of the ‘Monster Hunter’ game before a lot of people in America and Europe, because I spent a lot of time in Japan,” Anderson explains. “It became one of my favorite countries to visit. Because of that, I started playing ‘Monster Hunter’ in 2008 – and by 2009 I was pitching Capcom on making a movie of the game.”

Over the next nine years, during his frequent trips to Japan, Anderson would play the game – which became something of a passion project.  Because the gameplay of “Monster Hunter: World” doesn’t rely on a narrative, Anderson had free rein to invent a story. “It felt like an amazing opportunity to build a whole world on the movie screen, and there were countless stories to tell within that world. The more I thought about it, the more stories and characters began to take root.”

Anderson’s screenplay took a decidedly grounded approach to the wild fantasy elements of monster hunting – in storytelling and design, he would give the real-world audience hooks to latch on to. So, in his story, Anderson focused on a real-world team that becomes trapped in the monster world, and the monster world’s locations would be drawn from some of the real world’s strange and unusual but very real locations.

At every turn, though, Anderson and the filmmakers kept hewing close to the original games that inspired them. “The movie pays honor not just to the ‘Monster Hunter: World’ game, but to the entire franchise that I personally have loved for ten years now,” says Anderson. “The game creators have created a richly textured world, and we embraced that.”

When he’d completed the screenplay, Anderson had to do a bit of convincing with Jovovich to play the lead role. “My first thought was, really, from zombies to monsters? You’ve got to be kidding me,” jokes the star of Resident Evil. “He said, ‘Just read it,’ and when I did, I felt like it captured everything I love about making action movies, but I really loved the character of Captain Artemis. She just felt real to me,” concludes Jovovich. “I felt like it would be wonderful to play somebody that disciplined.”

Monster Hunter is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.  Connect with #MonsterHunterMovie