New Gen love team Ashtine Olviga and Andres Muhlach, collectively known as AshDres, are overwhelmed by the explosive response to the teaser of their launching film ‘Minamahal’ (100 Bulaklak Para Kay Luna), which racked up 12 million views within 24 hours of its release across Viva’s social media platforms.
“Grabe, hindi pa kami nagsu-shoot ng buong pelikula pero gulat na gulat na kami sa support!” the onscreen pair said during the film’s story conference and media launch. The teaser alone, which featured only a short scene shot by director Jason Paul Laxamana, already catapulted the project into trending territory.
The film marks AshDres’ transition from small screen to the big screen following the success of their Viva One series ‘Ang Mutya ng Section E’. And while fans are thrilled, it turns out even Ashtine and Andres were caught off guard by how quickly the project progressed.
“Iba ‘yung feeling na ang bilis ng pangyayari,” shared Ashtine. “Excited kami pareho. First movie namin ito and gusto talaga naming maibigay ang best namin sa pelikula.”
The film is set to hit cinemas on September 24.
The teaser’s instant virality—2 million views in just one hour—further silenced rumors that the love team was on the verge of a split. Speculation swirled earlier this year when Ashtine was spotted in a meeting with another Viva artist, Rabin Angeles, prompting talk of a potential AshBin tandem. However, fans now believe that meeting was likely for an endorsement campaign and not an indication of any shift in pairing.
Viva’s surprise drop of the ‘Minamahal’ teaser instantly reignited the AshDres fanbase, with TikTok flooded by reaction videos celebrating their return. With such strong early momentum, industry insiders are already predicting that the pair could clinch Box Office King and Queen titles at the next Guillermo Awards.
Directed and written by Jason Paul Laxamana—best known for ‘100 Tula Para Kay Stella’—’Minamahal’ seems poised to follow a similar emotionally resonant path, possibly even setting up a sequel. Fans are hoping it won’t take as long as 100 Awit Para Kay Stella, which was released eight years after the original.
Laxamana has a proven track record of turning rising actors into household names—just as he did with Bela Padilla and JC Santos—and many are now looking at AshDres as the next breakout tandem to dominate both the screen and pop culture.
Fan-taken BTS videos from recent events, mall shows, and rehearsals show a growing closeness between the two, with some supporters speculating that something more than “reel” may be blooming. Whether it’s just strong chemistry or something deeper, the kilig is real. (with reports from Loyd Pino)
