From the big screen to digital, Regal Entertainment have always been supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community through their movies and shows. And during the start of the pandemic, they mounted a boys’ love story series, ‘Ben x Jim,’ that had audiences watching not just in the Philippines, but worldwide. Teejay Marquez and Jerome Ponce in Ben x Jim became two of the actors that made the BL fans worldwide went crazy.
And now, Regal Entertainment continues to tell LGBTQIA+ stories with their newest boys’ love series ‘The Day I Loved You.’
Remembering the magic of your firsts. There’s really something special about your first crush, your first love, your first kiss, anything that’s first basically. That’s what The Day I Loved You wanted us to feel. To relive the magic of those special moments during our high school days when our love was pure and how it felt everything in the world.
But how different is The Day I Loved You from their first boys’ love series Ben x Jim? Director Easy Ferrer excitedly shares:
“Recently may mga bagong wave of BL na napapanood natin sa Netflix or ‘yung mga Thai BL, so na-excite ako mag-kwento ng bagong story. Sobrang different talaga niya sa Ben x Jim. I made sure that the treatment is different, nag-research talaga ako paano ang mga jargons na ginagamit nila recently. Iba talaga ang atake. Pati ‘yung scoring ginawa kong mas indie, mas hipster and tunog. Iba talaga siya, mas bata ang atake. I think malaking selling point na meron tayong foreign actor na import, si Reynold Tan from Singapore. First time siyang ginawa in a BL series dito sa Pilipinas. So may unique selling point siya. And siyempre, magaling ‘yung nakuha naming actor na lead si Tommy Alejandrino. In a way, sugal talaga siya pero nung nagshu-shoot kasi kami tapos ang ganda ng chemistry nilang seven. So feeling ko, papatok ko kasi lahat sila youthful, alam nila ‘yung peg, alam nila ‘yung gagawin. Ibang iba siya sa mata.”
But how was the cast like since they are all fresh actors?
“Nung una nakakakaba kasi siyempre parang ‘hala, wala akong poste dito si Tommy lang.’ Pero nung na-shoot na namin siya at sama-sama na sila, ang natural ng chemistry lalo na ‘yung kilig, hindi siya kailangang ituro. Madali for me kasi day one pa lang magkakaibigan na sila, inseperable na sila. Nakakatuwa kasi ang bilis nilang mag-click and nakakatuwa, hindi ko alam kung dahil bago sila pero pinag-aaralan nila ‘yung gagawin nila knowing na kailangan nilang may dala. Malaking threat ata si Tommy (Alejandrino), Cinemalaya Best Actor kasi siya so parang feeling nila hindi sila pwede makulelat dito. So lahat sila may baong research and acting skills,” director Easy Ferrer answers.
The Day I Loved You premieres April 26, 2023 on Regal Entertainment, Inc.’s YouTube channel at 6PM. New episode every Wednesday at 6PM.