The pairing of Star for All Seasons Vilma Santos and King of Philippine Drama Christopher De Leon is truly legendary.
These award-winning actors have been a beloved onscreen duo for nearly half a century, first captivating audiences in 1975 with the blockbuster movie ‘Tag-ulan Sa Tag-araw.’ Their iconic partnership has yielded numerous hit films and awards, including ‘Relasyon,’ ‘Hanggangg Ngayon Ika’y Minamahal,’ ‘Minsan Pa Nating Hagkan ang Nakaraan,’ ‘Sinasamba Kita,’ ‘Imortal,’ and ‘Dekada ’70.’
Their last cinematic collaboration was in 2004’s ‘Mano Po 3.’ However, fans of the Vi-Boyet tandem can rejoice as the two will once again grace the big screen in the highly anticipated movie ‘When I Met You in Tokyo,’ produced by JG Productions. The film, written by Suzette Doctolero and directed by Rado Peru and Rommel Penza, features Christopher De Leon as an Associate Director.
“I’m very excited about the movie,” Santos expressed her enthusiasm. “Right away, I fell in love with the story plus with Christopher pa kaya di ako nahirapan umoo. I chose this film because I know it’s not gonna be easy for me to face the camera again. With Yetbo alam ko na he will guide me, he will motivate me kasi malalabas niya kung anuman ang character ko.”
Despite the passing years, the chemistry between Vi and Boyet remains as strong as ever. Santos laughed as she shared, “Ganun pa rin eh, natatawa nga kaming dalawa kasi parang it’s better nga kasi we’re more mature. Hindi mo naman maipapaliwanag, di mo naman magagawa ang chemistry. Ang chemistry innate eh, lumalabas yun and I think that’s one thing that I have with Yetbo and vice-versa. Kung bakit hanggang ngayon, for so many years heto pa rin kami, we’re still doing a movie.”
She described the timeless chemistry between them as “magic.”
The magic of the Vi-Boyet tandem is further enhanced by the breathtaking backdrop of the film. Nearly 95% of the movie was filmed in Japan over the course of a month. For Santos and De Leon, the location played a pivotal role in the movie’s overall impact.
De Leon could hardly contain his excitement about their foreign location, explaining, “Ang sarap, super sarap. Japan is so visually rich, ‘yun ang reason kung bakit kami dun nag-shoot. We don’t see much more of the city, siguro mga 20% but the main story revolves around ‘yung mga outskirts of Japan, the culture of Japan. The beauty of countryside in Japan, mas nag-concentrate kami dun.”
Santos added that filming was challenging but successful due to the collaborative effort of the entire team. “It was very smooth, may mga obstacles natural naman ‘yun di ba? Kahit naman dito but again we all worked hard, talagang binigay namin yung share ng bawat isa. Especially ako, in my case, talagang isinapuso.ko si Azon same thing I guess with Yetbo as Joey.and then yung aming mga producers and all.the staff. We also have a very reliable technical staff headed of.course by Shayne Sarte, yung aming cinematographer.”
‘When I Met You in Tokyo’ is a love story centered on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) whose friendship evolves into love. It showcases love between older individuals but remains relatable, emphasizing that love knows no age or life status.
Santos guaranteed, “Kung ano yung nakikita nyong acting namin sa age namin ngayon, ganito rin ‘yung makikita nyo sa movie. Di kami magbabata-bataan pero di naman kami yung uugod-ugod. Kung gaano kami kakalog ngayon, ito pa rin yung makikita nyo sa pelikula. Hindi ito yung love na pang-teenager lang na type kita ngayon, bukas hindi. It’s more of you will feel a more mature and true love sa klase ng movie na ginawa namin. Yun ang difference siguro. We will show here ‘yung quality ng isang pagmamahal.”
De Leon reinforced Santos’ statement, saying, “What we are going to show in this movie is a different kind of love, creative and quality love. Even if you’re much older than our age now, it doesn’t stop. If you watch the movie, you’re going to laugh and fall in love.”
Fans eagerly await the return of the beloved Vi-Boyet love team and the magic they will undoubtedly bring to the screen once more.
‘When I Met You in Tokyo’ has been submitted as one of the entries for the MMFF 2023 competition. On October 17, the MMFF committee is set to unveil the four entries that will contend for a spot in the Magic 8 of the MMFF 2023 lineup. Fans of Vilma Santos and Christopher De Leon are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that this much-anticipated reunion movie will secure a spot on the list.
