'Starting Over Again' makes P375-M in 3 weeks

Starting Over Again starring Piolo Pascual and Toni Gonzaga has made P375-million in Philippine cinemas, as announced by Star Cinema during the victory party for the movie held Tuesday night at the 9501 restaurant inside the ABS-CBN compound.

The movie started showing in cinemas nationwide on February 12, 2014, thus, the said gross was for the span of three weeks, and not including its international box-office sales.

The movie was so successful that it is poised to beat the P387-million box-office gross of It Takes A Man And A Woman starring Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd Cruz. It is currently the highest-grossing, non-Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Filipino movie of all time, but sits fourth below the MMFF movies Sisterakas (P391-M), My Little Bossings (P393-M), and Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy (P429-M).

Starting Over Again's victory party was attended by ABS-CBN Chairman Eugenio "Gabby" Lopez III, ABS-CBN President, CEO Charo Santos-Concio, Star Cinema head Malou Santos, and the cast of the movie.

Pascual said he was overwhelmed by the success of their movie which was directed by Olivia M. Lamasan.

"Nung lumabas po na ganun kalaki ang kinita ng pelikula, hindi talaga ako makapaniwala because back during my time, maka P100 million ka lang, okay ka na, nakatawid ka na," the heartthrob said, as quoted by pep.ph. "For the movie to make P100 million in three days, it was so overwhelming for me. I just never thought na it could still happen. Maraming maraming salamat po."

Gonzaga, meanwhile, said that the success of the movie was in the story.

"It's really the story. More than the actors, it's really the story," she said. "Tumayo ang pelikula na ito dahil sa istorya niya...dahil matapang siya, dahil inilahad niya ang nangyayari sa totong buhay at hindi siya expected na ending."

She also added that she's willing to work again with Pascual, who himself revealed that the team is trying to come up with a material for a prequel.

"Pinag-uusapan na nila, naghahanap na sila ng material. Hindi siguro sequel, baka prequel," he said.

Also starring Iza Calzado, the movie was also shown in 52 cinemas across the United States. It reportedly made $650,000 (approximately P29-M) in three days.

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