IN A year packed with bold and independent films, yet again, a formula movie emerged as the most successful local flick in terms of box office revenues.
Local moviegoers trooped to the cineplexes to watch Star Cinema’s It Takes a Man and a Woman, which is dubbed as the reunion movie of Sarah Geronimo as Laida Magtalas and John Lloyd Cruz as Miggy Montenegro. It is a déjà vu of 2009 and 2008 when their romantic comedy films You Changed My Life and A Very Special Love topped local box office, respectively.
It Takes a Man and a Woman, a co-production between Star Cinema and Viva Films, was released on March 30. It broke box office records grossing P375 million during its theatrical run in the local cinemas and earned another P211 million when it was released abroad.
Star Cinema’s Four Sisters and a Wedding is the runner up. The comedy-drama, which is part of ABS-CBN production arm’s 20th anniversary presentation, hit the theaters on June 26.
In this movie, Bea Alonzo, Toni Gonzaga, Angel Locsin and Shaina Magdayao played the four sisters who attempted to stop the wedding of their younger brother played by Enchong Dee. With an estimated budget of P20 million, the film was a certified money-maker when it ended its commercial run earning more than P145 million.
This year’s local movie scene is another testament that Star Cinema is the powerhouse of mainstream films. Eight out 10 top-grossing films in 2013 were produced and co-produced by the country’s largest film production company.
Mae Cruz’s She’s the One and Joyce Bernal’s Bakit hindi ka crush ng crush mo? join the two aforementioned films to breach the 100-million-peso mark in terms of domestic grosses.
Released in October, She’s the One starred Bea Alonzo, Dingdong Dantes and Enrique Gil who are caught in a love triangle.
Meanwhile, Bakit hindi ka crush ng crush mo? became Kim Chiu’s third most successful film to date. This movie that saw her first film outing with Xiam Lim ranks third in Kim’s portfolio after The Healing (a suspense thriller with Vilma Santos) and Paano Na Kaya (a romance film with Gerald Anderson).
Bubbling up
A neophyte in the mainstream cinema, independent film production company Skylight Films produced three comedy movies this year: Bromance: My Brother’s Romance; Call Center Girl; and Tuhog.
Bromance starring Zanjoe Marudo and Cristine Reyes, is Skylight’s most successful film to date since its debut in 2011. It ranks number 6 in the top-grossing films of 2013 with a cumulative box office earning of P73 million. It is followed in the top-10 list by Star Cinema productions A Moment In Time (P64 million), Must Be Love (P60 million) Momzillas (P55 million) and Kung Fu Divas (P32 million).
The list of the top-grossing films pretty much encapsulates the trend in 2013 and this trend seems to continue in the coming year. This should serve as a big hint to producers on what types of flicks would delight the public.
Flicks that flopped
After threshing through to the most successful mainstream films this year, we now list their by-product or what we call the movies that moviegoers snubbed.
GMA Films and Regal Films joined forces in releasing My Lady Boss, Marian Rivera and Richard Gutierrez’s reunion movie. Originally scheduled for a Feb. 14 release, the showing date was pushed back because of scheduling issues. The date movie was rescheduled on April 10 but then again the movie did not hit the big screen until July 3 when it was finally had its commercial run. Its P19-million box office returns surely explain why another movie starring both stars is not recommended.
Acclaimed film and action thriller On the Job directed by Erik Matti and starred Joel Torre, Gerald Anderson and Piolo Pascual was released commercially in August following the news of a Hollywood adaptation of the film. The big budget movie (with P47 million production cost) ended its commercial run earning a measly P13 million. It’s interesting to note that Star Cinema distributed this film locally, hence confirming that even the powerhouse’s box office magic does not work all the time.
But if we are to single out this year’s most disappointing film, the cinematic disaster Seduction will be the only movie on the list.
2013 is not a good year for Regal Films. Its opening salvo, Seduction (also starring Richard Gutierrez and his real life romance Sarah Lahbati), is a certified box office bomb. Although it was released at the height of the controversy that lead to a lawsuit, the film only grossed P6 million.
VERY WANG 