ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

GENESIS
Diaspora has always been deeply ingrained in the Filipino experience, touching our hearts in profound ways. The stories of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Filipino migrants resonate deeply with us, reflecting our shared experiences of sacrifices to achieve our aspirations.

Five years after the box-office success of Hello, Love, Goodbye, the Management recognized that there are still a lot of stories waiting to be told. With so many more experiences of Filipinos working and living abroad now, it felt like the perfect moment to explore these narratives once again. This time, the production company wanted to venture into a new part of the world, bringing a fresh perspective and a new layer of romance to enrich the story. Star Cinema also collaborates with GMA Pictures to achieve this.
 
The clear goal is to celebrate the enduring spirit of our diaspora and highlight the unique challenges and triumphs of Filipinos living far from home. With these in mind, the Creative Team, Producer Leo Garcia, Writers Carmi G. Raymundo and Crystal S. San Miguel, and Director Cathy Garcia-Sampana began their intensive research and interviews for both Hong Kong and Canada. Shortly after, another leg of immersion and thorough interviews were also done by Garcia, Raymundo, and Garcia-Sampana in Canada.
 
Backed up by research and inspirations, the team began brainstorming on what will be the story of the sequel and eventually writing the script. When the script was greenlit, the principal photography took place.
 

CHARACTERS AND CASTING
In this sequel, Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards played the same roles. But in the present story, 5 years have passed. The team carefully crafted the characters on who they have become after the first movie and who they will be by the end of the sequel.



KATHRYN BERNARDO as Joy Marie Fabregas
Joy is headstrong, courageous, and resilient. She is an embodiment of modern Filipino women wherever they are in the world. After her heartbreak from the failed relationship with Ethan, Joy worked her way towards her dream but eventually became closed off when it comes to love. And in the sequel, Joy will finally transcend her fears and character flaw of masking her pains and loneliness by overachieving and with her insatiable thirst for success.



ALDEN RICHARDS as Ethan Del Rosario
Ethan has always been a lover boy. Love brings out the best in him: earnest, hardworking, supportive, and sacrificing. And it’s love that drove him to follow Joy in Canada. But the unforeseen circumstances of being trapped in Canada during the pandemic broke him and led him to unintentionally destroying his relationship with Joy. And at present, Ethan lost everything but is willing to do whatever it means to rise again.

SUPPORTING CASTS:

CANADA
Canada is the main setting of the sequel. Aside from the fact that Joy was bound to Canada at the end of the first movie, Canada is a great representation of some of the script’s themes of diaspora and permanence.
 

THE SHOOT
Principal photography started in June 2024 in Hong Kong to shoot all the scenes of Ethan while he was in a long-distance relationship with Joy who’s in Canada. With him are the movie’s support cast, Joross Gamboa and Jeff Tam. The shooting mostly transpired in Mong Kok/Harbor, Lan Kwai Fong, and Tsim Sha Tsui areas.
 
Another leg of shoot was done last July until August of the same year but in Canada. The production brought staff, crew, and artists to Canada but still hired talents from US and Canada. Additionally, the production team gratefully welcomed Filipinos and Canadian locals who offered to help. The shooting transpired in the province of Alberta.
 
Shooting in an international location was difficult for the team especially when a sea of Filipinos came to the set to see Bernardo and Richards. The production team had to manage not just the shoot but also the unexpected crowd. Countless behind the scenes footage was uploaded by Filipinos on TikTok and other social media platforms and became viral. Unexpectedly, it resulted to an organic promotion for the movie.
 
After a month-long shoot in Canada, the production team finished shooting and proceeded to post-production in the Philippines.

 

WORKING WITH DIRECTOR CATHY GARCIA-SAMPANA
Cathy Garcia-Sampana is a premiere Film and Television Director having directed most of the production company’s blockbuster movies such as Hello, Love, Goodbye, The Hows Of Us, and A Second Chance.



Upon deciding to make a sequel of Hello, Love, Goodbye, the Management - with no doubts - took Garcia-Sampana as its director and trusted her vision for it.
 

WORKING WITH WRITERS CARMI G. RAYMUNDO AND CRYSTAL S. SAN MIGUEL
Both Raymundo and San Miguel made their marks in the Filipino film industry.

Raymundo wrote the screenplays of the blockbusters The Hows Of Us, A Second Chance, and Crazy Beautiful You. While San Miguel wrote the screenplays of the blockbusters Un/Happy For You and The Hows of Us. Both also co-wrote the screenplay of Hello, Love, Goodbye.

With their passion and incredible talent in writing screenplays, the Management tapped them to continue writing the story of Joy and Ethan.