Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera are joining forces once again for an acting endeavor after a
span of over ten years.
The highly anticipated project they are embarking on is the film titled “Rewind,” which is a
collaborative effort among Star Cinema, APT Entertainment, and Agosto Dos Media, with the
celebrity couple taking the lead roles.
At the helm will be Mae Cruz Alviar, whom Dantes has already had the chance to work with in the
2013 Star Cinema movie “She’s The One.” Enrico Santos wrote the screenplay, while Carmi
Raymundo stands as the creative director.
“Sobrang excited [ako maka-work ang Star Cinema] at the same time, si Direk [Mae],” Rivera said of
her first project under the ABS-CBN film outfit.
“Kasi si Dong ang daming kuwento tungkol sa kanya. So sabi ko kay Dong, sana balang araw ma-
direct din niya ako. Punong-puno ng pangarap ‘yung mga kwento ni Dong sa akin every time may
Star Cinema siya. So sabi ko, sana balang araw.”
Elaborating his wife’s sentiment, Dantes expressed that collaborating with Star Cinema has
consistently been a positive and rewarding experience.
When asked about the main factor that influenced their decision to accept the project, the couple
responded by emphasizing the sheer beauty of the material.
“Parang bawat paglipat ko ng pahina sa script, walang tapon sa script. Walang dahilan para hindi ko
ito gawin, especially kasama ko si Dong. Kasi alam niya, every time nagkaka-partner kami na kaming
dalawa, meron kaming moment na mas tumitibay kami. ‘Ah, may ganun pala siya.’ So may bago
akong nadi-discover sa kanya. Lalo akong nai-in love. May ganung moment. So sabi ko kay Direk,
gagawin ko iyan kahit mahirapan ako sa schedule,” Rivera said.
In agreement with Rivera, Dantes went on to state that they want every project they choose to
make their children proud.
“Siyempre bukod sa makakasama ko siya at makaka-collaborate ko ang mga napakahusay na
creators, gusto rin namin is bawat project na pinipili namin, maging proud ‘yung mga anak namin.
Ito yung klaseng pelikula at kwento [na] ‘yung gusto naming ibahagi sa mga manonood. Very, very
true to form dahil it is a family movie. It has a very big heart and may touch of magic realism. So
many elements na magsasabing talagang pampamilya,” he said.
Both Rivera and Dantes were captivated by the beauty of the storyline, prompting them to openly
share their initial reaction upon reading the movie script for the very first time.
“Dumating ‘yung mama ko sa bahay. Pinapatulog ko ‘yung anak ko. Nung nakatulog na, si Mama
nakahiga sa sofa namin. Habang nakahiga siya, hindi niya alam binabasa ko ‘yung script. So habang
binabasa ko, humihikbi ako kasi talagang tatamaan ka talaga, mamo-move ka talaga sa mga linya at
sa mga nangyayari kahit lalaking character ‘yung nagsasalita,” Rivera said.
“What if ako ito? What if si Dong talaga ‘yun? So umiiyak ako. Nagising ‘yung nanay ko. ‘Anak, may
problema ka ba? Magsabi ka sa akin.’ Sabi ko, ‘Ma nagbabasa lang ako ng script.’ Tawa siya nang
tawa. Sabi niya, ‘Para mapaiyak ka ng script, sobrang ganda naman niyan.’ Sabi ko, ‘Ma mapre-
preempt, huwag mo basahin. Manood ka.’”
As for Dantes, he said: “Nauna ko siyang nabasa. Same reaction pero wala namang nakakita sa akin.
Pero pinadala ko sa kanya. Usually matagal siyang magbasa ng script, mga days. Pero parang wala
pa yatang one hour na-reply na kaagad siya. Natapos niya in less than an hour.”
“Kahit na pangatlong beses mo na siya basahin, I’m pretty sure ganun pa rin ang feeling. Nung
huling beses ko siyang nabasa was four days ago, ganun pa rin ang pakiramdam ko. Parang fresh
parati. Ano pa kaya kung makita na natin ang interpretation ni Direk Mae?” he added.
According to APT Entertainment’s Mike Tuviera, the movie was initially presented to Rivera and
Dantes in late 2019. Approximately ten stories were put forth during that time, but Santos’ script
instantaneously captured the hearts of the couple.
Careful not to reveal any spoilers, Cruz-Alviar described “Rewind” as a family drama infused with
elements of magical realism. The film revolves around the concept of second chances and explores
the lengths one is willing to go in order to seize that opportunity.
“I am so excited. This is a really exciting project and I am looking forward to working with Dong and
Yan. This project was first offered noong 2020 pa. But because the pandemic happened, we didn’t
know if this was gonna go through pa kasi nga we were afraid to work and all. And then ito,
matutuloy na siya, so parang feeling ko meant to be. Part nung excitement na alam mong ang tagal
and yet here we are, launching this project. In God’s perfect time talaga,” Cruz-Alviar said.
While Rivera and Dantes have not commenced filming for the movie yet, they assured that
“Rewind” will be released in cinemas nationwide later this year. ( Sheila Reyes, abs-cbn)
