One of the organizers of the live script reading of blockbuster independent rom-com movie “That Thing Called Tadhana” shared the backstory of the event that fluttered Filipinos’ hearts on the eve of Valentine’s Day.
In a series of tweets, film critic Philbert Dy shared how two of the country’s leading on-screen pairs, John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo, captured the hearts of the public with their heartfelt reading of Mace and Anthony’s lines in Antoinette Jadaone’s movie.
Reports noted that the characters of broken-hearted Mace Castillo (played by Angelica Panganiban) and Anthony Lagdameo (played by JM de Guzman) were originally meant to be played by the two actors.
The script reading happened after an outdoor screening of “One More Chance” — the movie that catapulted Cruz and Alonzo into ultimate loveteam stardom. It was held at Tower One on Ayala Avenue to kickstart “10 Days of Art,” a public art campaign of Art Fair Philippines 2020.
The segment is part of the art fair’s first-ever film component, “The Unconfined Cinema,” organized by Dy and Erwin Romulo, an award-winning writer, editor and film composer.
WATCH: John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo’s live script reading of That Thing Called Tadhana.📷 Make It Makati
Posted by John Lloyd Cruz on Friday, February 14, 2020
Dy revealed that the live script reading of “That Thing Called Tadhana” was something he has “been wanting to do for years” but added that he “couldn’t find the right venue” for it.
When the organizers of Art Fair Philippines allowed him to initiate it, the event coincided with Valentine’s Day, which is on February 14.
“When Erwin first asked me who we try to get for the two lead roles, with hardly a second to think about it, I replied ‘John Lloyd and Bea.’ I didn’t think at the time they’d go for it, but I figured it would be worth asking, since they were the best choice,” Dy said.
He revealed that he was initially surprised Cruz and Alonzo agreed to do the activity.
“So the plan was, we’d announce a screening of One More Chance, and then a ‘special presentation’ of That Thing Called Tadhana. It was going to be a special surprise for devotees of the John Lloyd-Bea pairing,” Dy shared when the activity was given the green light.
“This reading was the culmination of years of dreaming. There were several points where it looked like things were just going to fall apart, but we worked through, just knowing the value of what we were doing,” he added.
The script reading was eventually enjoyed by Filipinos, particularly fans of the on-screen pair.
“Thank you so much for this Sir!! Seeing JLC (John Lloyd Cruz) and Bea back together for an event or project is like a dream come true!! We missed them so much!!” a Twitter user said.
“I screamed all the way here in Jersey when saw pics and video! Congrats to you and the team for pulling this off,” wrote another user.
Television host Bianca Gonzalez congratulated the film critic for being able to achieve his goal after years.
“Massive! Congratulations to you and Erwin!” she exclaimed on a tweet.
“That Thing Called Tadhana” tells the story of a brokenhearted woman who meets a man in an airport who later on helps her with a baggage problem. They eventually develop a deep kinship with each other and embark on a spontaneous trip to different places in the Philippines.
It is considered one of the highest-grossing independent films in the country and has been recognized in the Guam International Film Festival in 2015.
