Concerts to comedies

WILBROS LIVE, a company known for promoting and organizing concerts in the Philippines, is taking a stab at film production with their first film venture, Fifth Solomon’s Nakalimutan Ko Nang Kalimutan Ka, opening Sept. 19 in cinemas nationwide.
“My brother and I have been thinking about [producing] movies since three or four years ago. It just never happened because we have so many concerts, but when we saw the story and the script, we knew it was the right one,” Glenn Llamas, COO of Wilbros Live, told BusinessWorld shortly after the media launch on Sept. 7 at Novotel hotel in Quezon City.
Wilbros Live is responsible for bringing in pop stars such as John Legend, who performed at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in March; and Mariah Carey, who will perform in the same venue in October.
The film—also Mr. Solomon’s directorial debut—follows a heartbroken woman Jaz (played by Alex Gonzaga) who tries to get over her ex-boyfriend (played by Vin Abrenica) by seeking help from a sketchy doctor (played by Candy Pangilinan) and from her best friend (played by Jerald Napoles).
Billed as a romantic comedy with a fantasy element thrown in, the film is, according to Mr. Solomon, based on his own and his friends’ experiences with heartbreak and moving on. He added that the script was years in the making.
“Imagine if there was a store where you can just go and get your [feelings] removed so you don’t feel hurt anymore,” said Mr. Solomon in the vernacular of the film’s premise.
Added Mr. Llamas: “We took the chance [on this film] because we’ve known Fifth (Solomon) for years… We’re happy with what we achieved in this film.”
Aside from a nationwide release, Mr. Llamas announced that they will also be holding screenings in the U.S., the Middle East, and Australia.
“Our core objective is to promote Filipino talents around the world,” he said, explaining that they are keen on producing films that they can distribute in Asia and other markets worldwide.
Choosing a romance as Wilbros’s first production, he added, gives the company a better shot at the box office. There are more than a few examples showing how much Filipinos love this particular genre: Star Cinema’s romantic drama film The How’s of Us, which stars Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo, premiered on Sept. 3 and has so far grossed more the P400 million according to a Sept. 8 post on Star Cinema’s website.
Kita Kita, a rom-com directed by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo and produced by independent production outfit Spring Films, replaced Jerrold Tarog’s Heneral Luna (2015) as the highest-grossing independent film in the country in 2017, after breaching the P300-million mark three weeks after its release.
“As long as Filipinos keep loving on these kinds of films, we’ll make it,” said Mr. Llamas.
“Next year, we’ll probably do a couple more films,” he said, adding that they are balancing the film production side of the company against promoting concerts, which is still their bread and butter. — Zsarlene B. Chua
Nakalimutan Ko Nang Kalimutan Ka hits cinemas nationwide starting Sept. 19.